Someone Like You
by lizardmm
Summary: In the aftermath of season 8, both Buffy and Faith are ready to start the next chapter to their separate lives. But when a new Big Bad surfaces, those disparate lives once again merge. How do you move on when you're haunted by a face from your past?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Simone Doffler stood on a slightly elevated, diamond-plate platform. From where she stood, she could easily cast her gaze across the sea of her budding rebellion. As minutes passed without the crowd taking notice to her presence, she cleared her throat and motioned both hands up in the air. The simple act was enough to quiet the group of women crowded at the base of the stage.

"Thank you all for coming," she greeted the other women. A smug smile seemed to naturally curl on her lips, settling into its rightful place. "I think you all know why we're here and what we're about."

A slight murmur rose from the group. Some of the women nodded their heads while others looked angry and cracked their knuckles, impatient for the opportunity.

The pink-haired and tattooed slayer silenced the group once again before continuing. "She wanted us to live under her rules, but now we can make her live under _ours_," she boldly orated. "We can bring our oppressor to her knees!"

"Fuck yeah!" someone called out from the group.

"Bring the bitch down!" echoed promptly from across the room.

The girls cheered and laughed. With each comment made, the crowd of girls boiled in both anger and eagerness. Several of the young women thrust their clenched fists in the air.

As Simone continued, she could see the crowd becoming visibly excited. The energy in the room gave her a rush not unlike slaying. "We can be the agents of change and fear we were meant to be," she asserted. "_It's who we are_."

A resounding approval sounded from the dozen or so young women surrounding the mohawked girl.

Peering down at the activities happening below them, huddled a blonde woman and a redhead. They stood far above the crowd of cheering women, witnessing everything through an elevated window with the help of half a dozen stacked wooden crates.

Willow turned away from the dirty window and glanced anxiously at her best friend. "What do you think?" she whispered.

"She's gotten much better at giving speeches since I last saw her," Buffy grimaced. She continued to stare at the assembled group, unable to contain her anger.

"What are we going to do about her, Buffy?" the redheaded woman asked seriously. "I mean, without magic, what _can _we do?" she pointed out in hushed tones. "She's too strong for the police to deal with. We—we can't kill her, _can we_?"

"No, I don't think we can kill her," the blonde regretfully admitted. "But we _do _have to do something." Her back teeth ground together as she gazed down on the group of rogue slayers, unaware of her presence. "And fast. Before she gets an even bigger following."

"So what do we do?" Willow asked again.

Buffy pushed out a deep breath. "There's only one thing we can do… I think it's time to call Faith."

The wind whipped around the brunette woman's long hair. She stroked her hand down the velvet muzzle of a large, grey-speckled horse.

"Don't be difficult today, and there'll be an extra sugar cube for you," she murmured to the large animal.

As if understanding her promising words, the horse lifted its head slightly and snorted.

"Ms. Lehane, there's a call for you up at the house."

Faith looked up when she heard the familiar voice. Birk, the hired man who ran the working farm, walked at a brisk pace toward her. He moved with a slight limp, a nagging injury he claimed he suffered fighting in World War II. In one gnarled hand was the wooden walking stick he always had at his side.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Not sure," Birk said with a shrug. Faith had originally thought the aging man didn't like her. But he had soon warmed up to the newest landowner after a present of a bottle of Giles' oldest double-malted scotch. "Mrs. Cribbage said she didn't recognize the voice."

Faith frowned. It was unusual for her to receive calls at the house, and even more unusual for Mrs. Cribbage to not know the caller. "Did they at least say what it's about?"

"Sorry, Miss," the farmhand apologized. "They said it was for your ears only."

Normally Faith would have instructed the house staff to just take a message and not bother her when she was out at the barn, but hardly anyone had the number to Giles' estate. If whoever was calling had taken the effort to track her down, it was generally important. Like, End of the World stuff.

Faith looked wistfully at the broad-shouldered horse. There would be time to ride later. She gave the animal a firm pat on the side. "Will you make sure Buffy gets brushed down and properly bedded?" she asked, turning back to the farm employee.

The diminutive man nodded and took the reins from the brunette. "Of course, Miss."

"Mind her left leg," Faith called as she started to leave the barn area. "She'll kick you if you give her the chance."

Faith made her way up the short dirt path that led up to the main house. On her way, she passed the chicken coup and the pigsty of the working farm. It had taken a while to get used to the expansive lands she had inherited nearly a year ago. It had taken an even longer time, however, to come to terms with Giles' death.

Reaching the main house, Faith pulled off her riding boots, careful to not tromp any mud on the natural wood floors of the farmhouse. She'd learned the hard way that Mrs. Cribbage, the housekeeper, didn't take kindly to her mussing up the normally immaculate house. It had taken a few months of Faith getting in the hard-nosed woman's way, but now a more comfortable rhythm had fallen over the house as the two became more familiar with each other's habits.

It was a big house – not a mansion – but much larger than the motel rooms and squalid apartments Faith was accustomed to. The décor wasn't Faith's style either, but she couldn't bear to change anything about her new home. Everything about the place from its overstocked library to its large, stone fireplaces was purely Rupert Giles.

Faith picked up the telephone in the formal hallway. "Hello?" she said into the receiver, not sure whom to expect on the other line.

"Hi, Faith."

"Buffy?"

The brunette was unable to hold back her surprise. Although things were moderately patched between them, she hadn't seen or spoken to the blonde slayer since Giles' last-will-and-testament had been settled. In a twist that surprised them all, Giles had bequeathed all of his belongings, which included a flat in London and the working-farm in the British countryside, to Faith. He'd left Buffy a book.

"Last time I checked," the Chosen One deadpanned.

Out of nervous habit, Faith ran her fingers through her wind-blown hair. She picked a small piece of straw from her locks. "Wh-What's up, B?" she asked, trying to mask her uneasiness. She couldn't help but feel like she was in trouble.

"I need you to come to San Francisco," Buffy stated curtly. "We've got a situation over here."

Faith had heard a rumor that the California girl had resumed living in her home state. Beyond that, she didn't know what Buffy had been doing since the destruction of the Seed of Wonder, the heart of all magic on Earth.

In their epic battle against Twilight, the Seed, which ironically had been located in Sunnydale, had to be protected. Removing the Seed from the Hellmouth would have resulted in the end of the world. Destroying the Seed, however, what Buffy had done in a final act of desperation and devastation, severed all magical ties with other worlds and the Earth's connection to other dimensions. The Slayers' powers and the sired vampires remained intact, but witches who gathered their magic from other worlds were no longer able to do so.

"What's the Big Bad this time?" Faith asked.

She felt more at ease knowing this wasn't a recreational call. This was all business, and business had been slow since the destruction of the Seed. No new vampires could be created now that the world possessed no magic. Other half-breed demons still existed as well, but they had largely remained underground.

The Boston-born slayer could hear the other woman's audible sigh. "I've got a rogue slayer on my hands. A bunch of them, in fact."

"Have you told…" Faith trailed off, instantly realizing her mistake. Her knee-jerk reaction when badness came around was to call Giles. But without him, who were they supposed to rely on? Who was their stability now?

"I thought about that, too," the Californian said in a small voice.

Faith cleared her throat uncomfortably. "What do you know?"

"Spike's still pretty connected to the underground scene," Buffy started. "He warned me that a slayer with a vendetta for me was coming my way. Willow and I did a little footwork and traced the information back to Simone Doffler."

Faith silently rolled the name over her tongue. "I don't think I recognize that name."

"There's no reason you would. She wasn't with us against the First," Buffy explained. "Simone was originally in Rona's group in Chicago. She had a real issue with authority, so Rona shipped her off to Andrew's squad in Italy. Rona claimed she was hoping being in a less urban area would soften her edges a little, but she basically was just passing on a problem child to Andrew."

"Rona thought _Andrew_ could deal with a rogue slayer?" Faith stated in mirthful disbelief.

Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Long-story short," she continued, "Simone's been bad news ever since she was Called. We battled once, a while back in Italy, and I won. So now she's made it her business to take me down."

"Basically the crazy wants to nail the final nail on your coffin," the brunette noted. "So, you said something about having more than one rogue slayer? Explain," Faith prompted.

"Yeah, it looks like Simone's been rallying some troops. That's why I need to nip this in the bud right away before her group gets any bigger."

Faith frowned. "Are there really that many girls who don't like you?" she asked in all seriousness. "What'd you do, Summers? Borrow all of their makeup without asking?"

"No offence, Faith, but you don't know what it's been like over here the past few months. While you've been livin' it up in jolly old England, I've been battling against small cliques of girls who'd like nothing more than to beat me down. Most nights on patrol I face more slayers than vampires, honestly."

"Then what makes this different?" Faith wondered aloud. She was proud of herself for being able to look past the Chosen One's jab.

"Because they haven't had a _leader_ before," Buffy opined. "With all these other angry slayers, they've just wanted to beat me up to give me a scare. I don't think any of them actually want to kill me – they're just looking for someone to blame."

"And Simone is different," Faith stated, beginning to understand.

"She's out of her mind with wanting revenge, Faith," Buffy emphasized. "And I'm not just worried about my own life. If she succeeds and takes me down…I don't know who she'll go after next."

"Probably me, huh?"

"Maybe."

The two women were quiet for a moment.

"Is…is Angel still with you?" Buffy asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Faith affirmed. "We both moved out to Giles' estate in the country. I figured it would be safer than having him in London. Less…um…people out here."

"H-how is he doing?" Buffy questioned.

"He's better. Not…perfect. But better since…it happened," Faith revealed, stumbling over words she couldn't yet bring herself to say. "You should talk to him," she stated gruffly, trying to shove down emotions that threatened to spill over. Trying to rehabilitate Angel had been a longer process than she'd originally thought. "I think it would help. Both of you."

Buffy shook her head even though she knew the other girl couldn't see her. "I can't. Not yet at least. I can't –." The golden-haired slayer put a hand up to her face, and closed her eyes. "I can still see Giles," she sighed. "Unfortunately our slayer healing abilities fall short of emotional scaring."

"I know," the brunette acknowledged sadly.

"Can you leave him alone long enough to come out here?" Buffy asked.

On the other end of the line, thousands of miles away, Faith hesitated.

"I'll pay for the ticket," Buffy offered, her voice nearly pleading.

"B, you don't have to do that," the raven-haired woman sighed. "I'm not that same kid in Sunnydale who had to steal just to afford McDonalds."

"Right. Sorry."

"It's not that I don't want to help, B," Faith tried to explain her reticence. "I guess I just don't understand why you're reaching out to _me_? You've got plenty of other slayers across the globe who'll back you up in this."

"Because she hates me, Faith. She wants to kill me," Buffy re-emphasized. "And I figured if there was one person who knew what that was like, it would be you."

"I never wanted to kill you, B," the Bostonian quickly clarified. "Maim you a little, sure," Faith lightly laughed. "But I couldn't have killed you, not even at my wildest moments."

"I appreciate that. I do. But I still need you."

The word _need _resonated in the once-rogue slayer's mind.

Faith chewed on her bottom lip. "Alright." The word seemed to catch in her throat.

"Really?"

Faith's stomach tumbled hearing the relief in the Chosen One's voice. "Yeah," she grunted. "I'll make the arrangements as soon as possible. Do you have a number where I can reach you?"

"I can't afford a cell phone," Buffy explained. "I'm working, but it's not enough money for a plan yet. I've…I've actually been staying with Xander and Dawn since we moved here."

The admission of her sister-Slayer's living and financial situation unsettled Faith. She shoved back those emotions, however, and tried to stay focused on the task in front of them.

"How about Willow or Xander?" Faith suggested. "Do they have cell phones or landlines?"

"Yeah," Buffy affirmed. "I can give you Xander's number and tell him to expect a call from you." She rattled off a series of numbers and Faith quickly scrawled the information down on a pad of paper next to the phone.

"Got it. I, uh, I guess I'll be seeing ya soon, B," Faith said.

"Soon," Buffy breathed.

"Yeah."

A number of clicks sounded in the background.

"I-I should go," Buffy stumbled. "This international calling card is going to run out soon."

"Okay."

"Oh, and…thanks again, Faith," Buffy said in a soft voice. "I know you've got your own stuff to worry about, but I do really appreciate you helping me out with mine."

Faith hung up the phone, unsure if she'd just made a mistake by agreeing to fly to California and help Buffy. It wasn't that she didn't want to see the blonde, but things were different now. Things were…complicated.

A dark shadow passed across the hallway, and Faith brought a hand to her heart. "God, you scared me," she laughed in relief. "You've got to stop lurking like that."

Angel's forehead lined with concern. "Who was that?"

"Buffy." She couldn't lie to Angel, even to spare his feelings.

"What's up?" he asked. It was clear he was trying to be nonchalant, but Faith could tell just the word 'Buffy' was tearing him up.

"Apparently there's a rogue slayer in San Francisco who's building a small army to take down Buffy," Faith informed the undead man. "Assistance is needed and so arrangements were made."

"When do we leave?" Angel immediately offered.

Faith frowned. This wasn't going to be easy. "_We_ aren't going."

"What do you mean? Aren't we going to help her? She needs us," he stubbornly stated.

"Angel," Faith started, internally grimacing at the words she knew she had to say. "She called _me. _Not you. I need you to stay here at the farm house."

"But…"

"No, 'buts', Angel," the slayer cut him off. "It's too soon. For you _and _her. I need you to be patient."

"Fine. I guess I'm not getting any older," he scowled.

"There's my guy," the brunette smiled, patting his shoulder. "And while I'm gone, take care of the Buffy in the barn." Faith gestured toward the window with a slight nod.

"I'll do my best. But she really doesn't like me all that much."

"It's cause you ride her like a caveman, Big Guy. Be gentle," Faith smiled. "She'll warm up soon, maybe, _hopefully_." The comment managed to lure out a smile from Angel's stern face. His demeanor quickly changed, however, as a thought passed over him.

"And I suppose you'll be taking _her _with you," the undead man said, spitting out the words with disgust.

"I hadn't really thought about it," the Boston-born slayer admitted.

"Take her along," the ageless man grunted. "It's hard enough having her pop by when you're here."

"Angel…"

"I'm going back downstairs," the souled vampire mumbled, turning his back to the formerly rogue slayer. "You should pack."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

"You got that?" Faith shouldered her own duffle bag and looked to assist the woman standing beside her.

The shorter woman grunted quietly as she pulled a large suitcase off the conveyer belt in baggage claim at the San Francisco airport. "I may not be as strong as you," she strained, setting her bag down on the ground, "but I can manage on my own."

Faith made a face. "I wasn't insulting your strength, babe. I know you can hold your own."

The woman's mouth formed a mischievous smirk. "I thought I proved that well enough last night."

Faith ducked her head, feeling unwontedly embarrassed. "We're lucky we didn't miss our flight because of you," she chuckled.

"Oh, I knew exactly what time it was," the girl insisted with a wide grin.

The Boston-born slayer chuckled and shook her head. "Uh huh. Your internal clock."

Making sure the other girl could handle her bulky suitcase, Faith headed in the direction of the rental car kiosks. Her co-traveler followed near her side, her luggage gliding along on two wheels.

"When are you going to call Buffy to let her know you're here?" the other woman asked, turning to look at Faith. The two women fell into line at the car rental office, waiting for their turn to be assisted.

The Boston-born slayer shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I'm not sure. I guess when we're settled in the motel." She looked at the beautiful girl who had flown across the Atlantic Ocean and the bulk of the United States with her. "I hope you don't mind hanging out in the room for the majority of the trip. Don't get me wrong, you can go out, you're allowed. You can do whatever you—"

The woman smiled sweetly. "Don't worry, I got it," she interrupted before Faith could start babbling unnecessarily. "I know this is a business trip and not a vacation; I promise to stay out of your hair."

"I hope not completely," the Bostonian murmured. She wrapped her arm around the other woman's lithe waste and pulled her close for a chaste kiss on the cheek.

Imperceptibly, the smaller woman grabbed a handful of hair at the base of Faith's neck. Her hand was hidden from view by the rest of the brunette's thick waves. She smiled and gave a little tug, pulling on Faith's hair. "How far away is our motel?" she purred, loud enough for only Faith to hear.

"Not close enough," Faith moaned, closing her eyes.

The woman released her tight grip on the brunette's hair and playfully swatted the brunette's backside. "I know we're staying at some dump, but could you at least get us a decent rental car? I don't want our vehicle to break down on the way to the motel."

Even though she could afford to stay at a proper hotel, Faith didn't feel comfortable flaunting her newly-acquired monies knowing that Buffy wasn't so comfortably settled. She had booked a room at a less-than luxurious motel close to the airport.

Faith sighed. "Babe, I told you before why we're not staying at some 5-star hotel."

"I know. And I don't mean to complain; I think it's all very noble of you," the other girl admitted. "But when are you going to stop feeling guilty about having money? Giles made the decision, not you," she pointed out.

Faith straightened and moved forward as the rental car line shortened. _When was she going to stop feeling guilty?_

Never.

Faith unlocked the front door to their motel room. The place was stuck in the Ice Ages and still used actual keys instead of a plastic card. The wooden door stuck on the way open, but the brunette slayer gave it a firm shove with her right shoulder and cleared the way. She and the other girl entered the modest motel room with their luggage.

Faith closed the door behind them and immediately locked the deadbolt and put the metal chain on its track.

"You bolted that as if a vampire might bust through," the shorter woman commented with an amused smile. "Relax a bit."

"Remember who you're talking to." Placing the tip of her boot against the bottom of the door, the slayer applied weight to make sure the shoddy door was completely shut. "That possibility is unfortunately all too real."

The two women took a moment to assess their temporary digs. One queen-sized bed occupied the majority of the main room. A 30-inch tube television sat on a fake wooden dresser. The two-drawer bureau's laminate covering was starting to peel and chip at the edges from time and use. The rest of the room was taken up by a floor lamp and a worn, overstuffed chair. Towards the back of the room was a door that led to a small bathroom, just large enough for a vanity, single sink, and bathtub with a leaking showerhead.

"I guess it could be worse," remarked the brunette slayer.

"Yeah, if this was a Third-World country," her co-traveler laughed.

Faith frowned.

"Oh, you know I'm kidding," the other woman laughed. She playfully bumped her hip into Faith's. "I'm gonna hop in the shower," she stated as she started to pull off her clothes. "After that long flight, I can't wait to get changed."

"Okay," Faith nodded, her thoughts currently too distracted to appreciate the disrobing girl. "I'm gonna check in with the gang."

Faith sat down on the edge of the mattress. She waited until she heard the water turn on in the bathroom before dialing the number Buffy had given her. The slayer held the motel-issue phone to her ear and listened to the line ring several times.

The brunette chewed on her thumbnail. She hadn't really thought about what she'd actually _say _once she reconnected with the other Scoobies. Maybe Xander wouldn't even answer if he didn't recognize the number. The thought eased her, momentarily. Maybe they wouldn't even have to speak. She could just leave him a voicemail that she'd arrived in the city.

"Xander Harris speaking," came the familiar, masculine voice. Faith's stomach dropped.

"Hey," she grunted, trying to mask her nervousness. "It's Faith. I'm here."

"That's good. I'm glad your airplane didn't drop out of the sky. Mostly." Xander laughed pleasantly. A loud noise like wood being cut by an electric saw filled the background. "Buffy's at work right now," Xander said, raising his voice to be heard over the construction. "I'd pick you up and bring you there myself, but I'm at a job site and can't leave for a couple of hours."

"Don't worry," Faith reassured the man. "Just give me the address, and I'll find it. My rental car's got GPS."

"Fancy."

"Yeah," she grunted uncomfortably. She knew all-too-well that Buffy's friends had wanted to throttle her at the will reading when Faith, and not the blonde slayer, had been awarded Giles' bank accounts and properties. "Thanks for the info, Xand. Uh, maybe I'll see you later."

"Hey Faith," Xander interjected before the dark slayer could hang up the phone. "Don't get me wrong. I'm happy you're here. I'm just hoping you can actually help. Buffy's putting a lot of…_faith_ in you," he chuckled.

"I'm gonna do my best," the slayer promised. "Bye, Xander."

Faith hung up the motel phone and looked toward the open bathroom door when she heard the water turn off. The British-born woman exited a few moments later with a white towel wrapped around her bronzed skin, her hair still wet and barely falling to her shoulders.

"What do you think?" she asked, grinning widely. Her hazel-green eyes flashed mischievously.

"I think I don't want to leave just yet," Faith smiled.

The girl laughed pleasantly, the sound almost haunting. "You're cute. But you've gotta go do your work thing and _then_ you can come back. There'll be time for fun and games later," she winked.

"But what if I want some fun _now?_" Faith grinned, wiggling her eyebrows. "The games we can save for later."

"Go take a shower," the woman urged. "It's surprisingly not disgusting in there. It's probably even nicer than this room."

Faith stood and lifted an arm to smell her armpit. "Are you trying to tell me something?" she joked.

The short blonde smirked. "Just go get ready for your big reunion," she remarked. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back to me."

Faith nodded and grabbed some shower supplies out of her duffle bag. Even though she'd had no idea how long she'd be in California, she'd packed light. She could always buy more clothes or go to a Laundromat if her supplies ran short, she reasoned.

After a brief shower to wash away the grime of intercontinental flight, Faith looked one last time at the blonde woman who was now watching television. "Alright, babe. I'm heading out," she announced. "Gotta meet up with the Boss and make our plans to take down this Simone chick."

The girl waved a hand in Faith's direction, but didn't look away from the TV. "Okay, have fun," she replied like an indulgent mother.

"I'll try to make it brief," Faith promised, one hand on the doorknob.

"Don't worry about me, hun," the girl reassured her partner. "Just go do your thing. I have books and possibly a working TV. Maybe if I'm lucky, there'll be more than 4 channels."

Faith nearly left the room, but stopped suddenly. "Promise me you'll stay in the room?"

The woman on the bed grinned cheekily. She kicked her legs a little in a child-like manner. "Don't want anyone to see me?"

"No, it's not that," Faith backpedaled. "It's just…you know…it's a big city, and we're kind of in a shady part of town. I don't want to worry about you while I'm gone. I'll just feel more comfortable once I get a better feel for this place."

The blonde held up a hand. "I do solemnly swear."

Faith continued to hesitate at the doorway. Maybe bringing her along wasn't a good idea, after all.

"I'll be back soon," the brunette slayer said once more before finally leaving and closing the door behind her.

Faith walked with her head bent down and her hands shoved deep in her pockets. Although it was summer in California, the San Francisco weather hadn't gotten the memo. The Boston girl lamented not bringing a jacket with her.

She had debated purchasing a jacket at one of the overpriced tourist shops, but she couldn't bring herself to wear an 'I love SF" coat. She would rather suffer the cold than ruin her look.

The coffee shop where Buffy worked was located in a vibrant neighborhood. Unfortunately, the surrounding community was in dire need of parking structures. The Bostonian had been forced to park several blocks away from the address Xander had given her.

After asking a stranger to clarify her surroundings, Faith soon found herself standing in front of the coffee shop where Buffy was employed. She looked one more time at the address scrawled on the piece of paper in her sweating hands, and sucked in a deep breath.

"Excuse me," came an apologetic voice from behind the brunette.

Faith turned to see a girl a few years younger than herself, her long brown hair knotted in tight dreadlocks around her face. She wore a long, flowing green linen skirt with black combat boots matched with a white peasant top.

"Sorry," Faith mumbled, stepping to one side so the girl could get around her to enter the coffee shop.

The woman pushed open the glass door to the San Francisco café. As she did so, Faith caught a glimpse of a petite blonde inside the shop. She wore a white apron with the coffee shop's logo on the front over her jeans and form-fitting top. Her wheat-tinted hair was pulled back in a messy bun, a pen stuck into the locks. She smiled down at a table where two young men sat, ordering coffee drinks. The door closed, and Buffy's features were once again obstructed from view.

The Boston woman suddenly felt nervous and years younger than her mid-twenties. Being around Buffy had always made her revert to the angry, edgy teenager she'd worked so hard to move beyond. She hoped she could keep her composure around the golden-haired slayer long enough to help her and then get back to England and Angel.

Faith pushed open the front entrance to the non-descript coffee shop. She took a second, still standing in the doorway, to gain her bearings. A few tables for couples littered the floor plan and a small bar area was located along the back wall. Various coffee-making machines lined the counter space. Next to the cash register was a glass display case, showing off various kinds of breakfast and bakery goods.

The Bostonian glanced nervously around the place, trying to find the Chosen One again. With little effort, she spotted her in one corner of the shop with her back turned to the brunette. Faith could see her writing down a couple's order on a small pad of paper. Even though Faith could only see her from the back, she immediately knew it was Buffy. Those tingles along her spine didn't lie. And neither did those familiar curves.

The formerly rogue slayer checked her courage and took a step in the direction of the blonde slayer. She stopped, however, when the girl in the green skirt stepped in front of her, blocking her from getting to Buffy. Faith paused, irritated by the pushy girl.

The Bostonian watched as Buffy took a step backwards, stepping away from the patrons at the table whose coffee order she'd just taken, unaware of the girl in the skirt standing directly behind her. The dread-headed girl stepped to the side to avoid Buffy running into her. She stuck her left leg out, and when the blonde slayer stepped backwards, she tumbled over the out-stretched limb.

Faith instinctively moved in the direction of the tumbling Californian. She caught Buffy around the waist as she fell and stopped her from completely hitting the ground.

"Gotcha," Faith breathed. Her face was uncomfortably close to the other slayer's. Buffy's hair smelled sweet, and it took far too much willpower to resist the urge to bury her face in the golden locks.

"Thanks for the assist," Buffy stated, looking a little flustered.

Faith helped the smaller woman get back on her feet. The other slayer's body felt small, yet solid. The Boston slayer's dark eyes flashed with anger as they followed after the girl quickly leaving the shop. "That girl totally tripped you on purpose."

Buffy brushed some errand blonde strands out of her eyes. "Don't worry about it," she sighed. "Happens all the time."

Through the plate-glass window, Faith could see the dread-haired girl storming down the street, and away from the coffee shop. "What?"

"That was a slayer," Buffy said, nodding out the front window. "Not a very good one," she said with a chuckle, "but still a slayer."

"And she tried to trip you why exactly?"

"She's pissed because I beat her a few nights ago when she and her friends tried to catch me off-guard," Buffy continued to explain, "So she tries to make a fool of me at work when I can't do anything about it."

"Well, _I _don't work here," Faith growled, ready to pummel the granola-hippie slayer. "Want me to mess her up?"

"I'm fine," Buffy reassured, straightening her clothes and her work apron. "Don't worry."

Faith couldn't help but pout. "Not even a little beat-down?"

"No. That would be childish."

"Well, that was pretty childish of her, don't you think?" Faith remarked, still hoping for Buffy's consent to go after the fleeing girl.

"That's what my life has become," Buffy stated plainly. She wiped her hands on the front of her apron. "And how are _you_ doing?"

"Uhm. Fine," Faith said awkwardly. "I'm here."

"So I see," Buffy said, her mouth quirking into a small smile. "I wasn't expecting you until later today."

"I called Xander," the brunette shrugged, "and he told me where to find you."

"That's nice of you to come here straight away," Buffy noted, "but I can't really sit down and have a heart-to-heart just yet. I've got coffee to serve and minimum wage to make."

Faith mentally slapped her forehead. Of course Buffy wouldn't be able to ditch work just because she had shown up. "When do you get off?"

Buffy's eyebrow comically quirked. "Why? Are you trying to pick me up?"

Faith stared strangely at the girl.

Buffy shook her head. "Don't pay attention to me. I get all the coffee I can handle here, and too much caffeine and Buffy don't mix." She tugged at her hair. "Plus, I say inappropriate things when I'm nervous."

"Nervous?" the brunette asked, perplexed.

Buffy waved a dismissive hand. "Again with the too-much-Buffy-talking."

"O-okay," Faith replied, eyeballing the smaller slayer. "So what time should I be back?"

The California slayer glanced at the clock on the wall near the coffee bar. "I've still got another two hours," she told the brunette. She looked back at Faith. "I don't want to make you hang out until then."

"I'm fine," Faith insisted. "I'm on your turf, so whatever works with your schedule. I could check out the neighborhood or do some shopping or something until you get off," she shrugged.

Buffy smiled, amused by the brunette's easy manner. "There's a café two shops down called the Cheesery. There's no cheese," she said with a light laugh. "Just inexpensive coffee. We can talk more there."

Faith nodded. "Sounds good."

"So I'll see you in about two hours."

Buffy stood awkwardly in the middle off the coffee shop. She didn't know if she should hug the other girl goodbye or shake her hand. She hadn't seen Faith since Giles' will had been read and was honestly a little surprise that she'd shown up at her work as soon as her flight had arrived.

Faith laughed at her own nerves. "Two hours." The younger slayer impulsively ended the uncomfortable parting with a light punch to the blonde's shoulder before walking off.

"What the hell was that, Lehane?" Faith mumbled to herself "… a freaking punch?"

"So tell me about Simone."

Buffy sat down at the table for two with a tired sigh. "And hello again to you, too," she laughed. The blonde slayer set her bag on the small table and began to rummage around its numerous contents.

"I'm not here on vacation," Faith said with some intensity, leaning in towards the blonde, "so let's get to work."

A waitress came to their small table. "What can I get for you two?" The thin woman with shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair did a double take. "Oh hey, Buffy," she greeted the other woman with a broad smile. "I didn't recognize you for a second."

"Probably because I'm not sitting by myself like usual," the Chosen One joked.

The coffee shop employee smiled shyly and tucked a lock of highlighted hair behind her ear. "You know the offer is always standing," she said vaguely.

Buffy looked away from the waitress's probing glance. "Um, what's the dark blend today, Selena?"

The freckle-nosed woman chewed on her bottom lip. "We've got our Jet Fuel Blend today," she said, her tone becoming more professional.

"Great. I'll have one of those," Buffy said with a brief smile. She turned her attention back to her purse.

"And for you?" Selena asked, not looking at Faith. The coffee waitress continued to stare at the unaware blonde.

The Boston woman choked back a snicker. "Nothing for me, thanks."

Faith coolly watched the waitress walk away from their table and back towards the coffee bar. "Friend of yours?" she asked the blonde slayer.

"I just come here a lot after work," Buffy explained, still rummaging in her oversized bag. "The coffee is better and less expensive."

"What did she mean about a 'standing offer'?" Faith asked, turning her gaze away from the feminine waitress and back towards the blonde's bronzed features.

Buffy waved a dismissive hand. "She's just being friendly. I'm in here by myself a lot and Selena just takes pity on me."

Faith snorted. "Uh huh. What you looking for in that bag, B? A lost elephant?"

Buffy looked up from her scrounging and stuck her tongue out at the brunette. "Funny. No. I can't find my hair band."

The Bostonian looked confused. "But your hair is already up."

Buffy quirked an eyebrow and touched her hand to her hair. "So it is."

"You should just get an IV of coffee hooked up the way you seem to go through it," Faith deadpanned.

"Don't start with me," Buffy complained. "I need caffeine. It's rough on my sleep schedule slaying at night and then working 8 hours a day. It's almost as bad as high school."

"Without all that annoying learning," Faith quipped.

"At least back then the worst thing I had to worry about were vampires and if I had last season's hair."

"It's a bugger gettin' old, huh?" Faith noted. She looked down at her hands rather than Buffy's face. It bothered her to see the blonde so stressed.

"Well if Simone gets her way, I won't be getting any older."

Faith looked up and leaned in. "Why does this chick want you dead so badly?" she asked in a hushed tone so as to not draw unwanted attention to their conversation.

Buffy shook her head. "Revenge – it's the only thing I can think of. A lot of girls are angry with me for destroying the seed."

"Which I don't get," Faith interjected. "It didn't take away _their _powers – just witches and demons. Seems to me you did everyone a favor by destroying that thing. The military is off our backs, and let's not forget that you saved us from Twilight," she added.

Buffy made a face. "But if it weren't for Angel and me, Twilight would never have been created," she pointed out.

The two women momentarily paused their conversation when their waitress brought Buffy her coffee and a complimentary bear claw. Faith waited while Buffy loaded her cup with sugar and cream.

"Not worried Simone hired someone to poison your coffee?" Faith asked with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe that pastry is laced with something deadly. In that case there would be a reason as to why it's free."

Buffy brought the mug to her lips and blew on the hot liquid. With her free hand she pushed the bear claw to her sister-Slayer.

"Hah, I say killer bear claw and you give it to me," Faith snickered. "Am I your poison detector now?"

"It is _killer_… just not the way you're thinking, Faith." The blonde slayer mused as she took a sip of her cooling drink. "In any case, it's not her style," she said simply. "Simone wants me dead, but she wants people to know that it was _her _who took me down. I'm not going to die in a random accident. It'll be a violent explosion or some stand-off at the O-K Corral."

"So what's her Master Plan?" Faith pressed. "She kills you and then what?"

"I don't know if she thinks that far ahead, honestly," Buffy said with a shrug. "She's proud, she's got a thing against authority figures, and she thinks Slayers are above the Law….above _humanity. _With me dead, maybe she figures she can sway the other thousand slayers into thinking her way, too."

"World Slayer domination," Faith nodded. "So what do you want me to do?"

Buffy set her coffee cup down on the table. She looked at the younger slayer, her hazel-green eyes steely. "I want you to infiltrate her group. Gain her trust, and get her to stop this crazy vendetta."

Faith whistled lowly. "That's a tall order, Blondie."

Buffy frowned. "That's my best case scenario."

"And the other?" Faith asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"I kill her." Buffy lifted her mug once again and took a slow, careful sip.

"Woah, so this is your great plan?" Faith demanded, trying hard to keep her voice at a conversational level. "Throw me into the mix and if I can't rehabilitate her, you kill her?"

"Do I have a choice? It's kill or be killed," Buffy insisted.

"Maybe your information is wrong," the brunette slayer rushed out, "maybe it's really not that bad."

"Which is why I need you to be my double-agent," Buffy pointed out. She set her cup down on the table. "I don't want to kill anyone, Faith. The thought of it…" The blonde visibly shuddered. "I just don't know what else I can do. I can't live in fear and still do my job as a slayer." She worried her bottom lip. "But even killing her…that might not solve my problem. If I kill her, she might become a martyr," she mused aloud. "If Simone dies, someone could take her place and then we're back at Square One."

"Now you're just worrying yourself sick, B," Faith said, shaking her head. "You can't know what would happen with her dead. It seems to me that most slayers are just lost girls looking for direction. They just need a leader."

"And what am I," Buffy demanded, feeling insulted, "chopped liver?"

"No, you're Buffy Summers. You're like a myth to those girls." Faith sighed. "I don't know, B. I don't have the answers you're looking for. I guess this whole fucked up situation is just another reason why there's only supposed to be one slayer at a time."

Buffy frowned and looked down at her watch. "I've got a couple of hours to burn before patrol. Do you want to grab some dinner?" she proposed. "I could call up Dawn, Xander, and Willow. I'm sure they'd all be happy to see you again."

"No offense, B. But I'm pretty sure 'happy' doesn't accurately describe their feelings towards me," Faith said, no bitterness in her voice. "I'm just gonna head back to my motel, if that's cool with you."

"I'm sorry," Buffy genuinely apologized. "I shouldn't have just assumed you'd want to hang out with us."

"It's not that," Faith protested in earnest. "I'm just…I'm feeling a little jet-lagged from the international flight, ya know? I gotta get some sleep if I wanna be in top-slayer form," she added with an infectious grin.

"Okay," Buffy agreed. "But I'll see you tomorrow, right? For work stuff, of course," she quickly added.

"Yeah, I don't see why not," the younger slayer nodded. "The faster we take down this slayer bitch, the faster I can get outta your hair."

"That's not what I…" Buffy sighed and shook her head. "Never mind."

Faith unlocked her motel room, her mind troubled with what Buffy was asking her to do. She had known her special 'rehabilitation' skills were going to be essential to this mission, but she hadn't figured that Buffy would want her to pretend to go rogue again to gain Simone's confidences.

When she opened the door to her room, she was surprised to find the room blanketed in darkness. Faith fumbled in the dark, pulling off her boots. Her knee bashed into the metal heating and cooling unit, and she cursed loudly.

A lamp near the bed clicked on, partially filling the room with light. "For a Slayer, you certainly are clumsy," the beautiful girl laying on the queen-sized mattress joked.

Faith rubbed at her sore knee. "Why'd you have all the lights turned off?" she complained sourly. "You trying to kill me?"

"I was napping," the woman responded, the smile falling from her face.

Faith sighed loudly. "I'm sorry, babe," she apologized. "I didn't mean to snap."

"Not a good meeting?" the girl asked. She shifted under the covers and sat up straighter.

Faith crossed the room to sit on the bed and join her partner. "The meeting was fine. This situation with Simone is just more serious that I originally thought."

"You'll figure something out," the British woman said with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." The Boston slayer looked down at her hands and grimaced.

The other girl sat up straighter and leaned toward her girlfriend. The sheets around her upper body fell down slightly, showing off her lack of pajamas. "What are you worried about, hun?"

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to go to a dark place to pull off this job," Faith sighed heavily. She looked back up at her partner and her exposed flesh. "I can't have this conversation with you looking like that," she lightly complained. "Couldn't you change or something?"

The blonde grinned and pulled back the covers even further, revealing the rest of her firm, naked body. "What?" she said innocently, batting her long eyelashes. "Don't you like what I'm wearing?"

The Boston girl looked pained. "I like it a little too much is the problem…it's almost wrong."

"No, not really," snickered her well-rested companion.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

Faith knocked on the red apartment door. She heard some muffled voices coming from the inside of the rental unit just before the front entrance swung open. A slender brunette woman stood on the opposite side of the open door.

"Faith!" Dawn practically squealed.

The Bostonian had little time to react or respond before she found herself being pulled into the apartment, long gangly limbs hugging her.

"Jesus, D," the slayer remarked, nearly overwhelmed by the show of affection. "Did you grow an extra set of arms or something since I last saw you? You're like an octopus."

The young Summers woman released her hold on the taller brunette and frowned. "That's not funny," she complained with a Buffy-like pout. "I could very well have had extra limbs when I was under Kenny's Thricewise spell."

While studying at Berkley, Dawn had found herself the unlucky recipient of a vengeance spell. Her boyfriend at the time, Kenny, was a Thricewise demon. When Dawn had cheated on him with his college roommate, Nick, the boy sought revenge. Over the period of a few months, Dawn had been a centaur, a giant, and a porcelain doll until she apologized to Kenny for being unfaithful, and he ended the spell.

Faith allowed herself a hearty laugh. "Oh my God, I almost forgot about that. Too bad you couldn't have stayed a giant," the brunette joked. "That might have been actually useful against Twilight."

Dawn made a soured face. "Yeah, well I'm just happy I'm not half-horse anymore. Peeing that much was seriously disturbing."

"Yeah…I didn't need to know that," the Boston slayer gagged.

"Whatever," Dawn huffed, turning on her heels. "The others are in the back den. You're the last one to show up."

"Others?" Faith squeaked, suddenly feeling claustrophobic.

Faith followed Dawn deeper into the apartment she shared with Xander and her sister, past a living room, galley kitchen, and down a long hallway that led them past a bedroom and separate bathroom. At the end of the hallway was a makeshift office space. A desk covered with stacks of papers stood in one corner. Women's clothing spilled out of the small office closet. Xander, Buffy, and Willow sat in a row on a futon that took up most of the space in the room.

"The Duchess of York finally showed up," Dawn said, announcing their entrance.

Faith dropped her eyes to the floor and followed Dawn into the room. "I ain't royalty," she mumbled uncomfortably.

Both Willow and Xander stood up and greeted the newcomer. Buffy stayed seated in the middle of the futon.

Xander was the first to offer the brunette slayer a hug. "Glad you could make it," he said earnestly. Faith uncomfortably accepted the brief hug.

Willow stood back awkwardly, but she smiled at the Boston girl. "Nice to see you," she said, one hand up in a half-wave.

Although tensions between she and the original Scoobies had certainly eased during their fight against Twilight and the military, the momentary thaw had refrozen after Giles' death and Faith's unexpected inheritance. Faith mentally lamented not bringing warmer clothes with her to San Francisco. The outside weather was unseasonably chilly, and her reunion with the Scoobies was turning out icy as well, not counting Dawn's gangly greeting.

Dawn sat down on the carpet, all the other seating monopolized by her sister, boyfriend, and close friend. Faith followed suit.

The brunette couldn't help but immediately grieve how small their inner circle was. Not only was Giles gone, but in only a handful of months their ranks had dwindled from a Slayer Army to numbers that could fit comfortably in a one-bedroom apartment.

As Faith looked around at the assembled group, she noticed one specific absence. "Where's Kennedy?"

The room grew quiet and the gathered friends looked mildly uncomfortable. Or at least even more uncomfortable than when Faith had entered the room.

"She, uh, she left," Xander said finally.

"Left?" Faith asked, as if confused by the word.

Willow frowned and wrung her hands on her lap. "What Xander means is we broke up."

"Shit. My bad," Faith quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Red. I didn't know."

The former Wicca gave the slayer a pained smile. "It's okay," she said, her voice slightly cracking. "I knew it was only a matter of time before she'd break with me, so I ended things before she got the chance," she remarked wistfully. "Without magic, I'm just another computer nerd."

"Yes, but you're _our _computer nerd," Buffy inserted, trying to be helpful. She patted Willow on the knee.

Willow flashed the blonde slayer a brief, thankful smile. "At least I was able to get us a picture of Simone so Faith's not going in blind." She fished around in the school bag by her feet and pulled out a manila envelope. "I hacked into the Chicago Police Department's files and printed her mugshots. It looks like Simone already had a problem with authority, even before she was Called."

The redhead leaned forward and handed Faith the folder that contained photographs of the girl in question.

Faith pulled a number of 8x11 inch black and white prints out of the envelope. "Wow. That's her?" She snickered as she took in the mohawked and pierced slayer.

"You can't tell from the picture, but she normally has a pink mohawk," Dawn noted.

"You'd think something like that would stick out," Xander remarked, "but you'd be surprised how many pink mohawks are in the Bay area."

Dawn laughed. "And it's so adorable to see Xander freeze up whenever he sees one, thinking it's Simone."

"Hey," the one-eyed man protested. "Aren't girlfriends supposed to be _nice_ to their boyfriends?"

"So what do you think?" Buffy asked Faith, cutting off the playful banter between Dawn and her boyfriend.

"Think?" Faith questioned. "About what?"

"About Simone."

"I think the 1990s called," the Boston slayer quipped, still looking at the black and white photography," and they want their Riot Grrl haircut back."

Buffy stared strangely at the brunette. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Faith blinked a few times at the other slayer. "Bikini Kill? The Butchies? Sleater-Kinney? Ringin' any bells?"

Buffy's face was blank. "Nope."

"C'mon, B. You grew up on the West Coast," Faith said, looking agitated and bewildered. "Riot Grrl was like junior high and early high school!"

"I listened to New Kids on the Block," the Chosen One stated in all seriousness.

Faith turned her attention to the former witch. "How about you, Red? Lesbians gotta know all about Riot Grrls, right?"

Willow smirked. "My favorite New Kid was Jordan."

The Bostonian threw her hands up in the air. "I'm outnumbered," she complained.

"I always liked Joey," Xander inserted.

"Who are New Kids on the Block?" Dawn asked.

"Anyway…" Faith interjected before their conversation tangented into other boy bands, "tell me more about this plan."

"It's not a very good plan right now," Buffy started almost apologetically.

"But it's a good starting point," Willow interrupted.

"Personally, I think it's crazy," Xander shrugged.

"You guys certainly know how to make a girl feel confident," Faith joked uneasily. "How about I hear the full plan first, and then I can tell ya if I think it's crazy."

"Simone's collecting slayers," Buffy began. "I don't know what she needs them all for, but I do know that part of her End Game includes killing me. She's already killed a high-ranking military official, and Spike's Intel says I'm next on the list."

"What's the connection between you and this army guy?" Faith asked.

The blonde shook her head. "Besides Twilight, I'm not sure," Buffy admitted. "This General was partnered with Twilight when he thought Angel just wanted to take down Slayers. But when we all discovered that Twilight meant the end of the world, not just the end of the Slayer line, the General jumped ship and helped us. Simone could have been paying him back for killing slayers, or for helping me."

"But either way, Simone needs to be stopped," Xander observed.

"So why not just go in guns blazin' and take her down?" Faith questioned reasonably. "What's with all the secrets and double-agent action?"

Buffy shook her head. "There's too many slayers involved," the blonde reasoned. "I'm not worried we wouldn't be able to take them all down," she interjected before Faith could, "but if we can regain their trust, we can avoid making a lot of unnecessary enemies."

"But do you really think I can just waltz up to this chick and get accepted into her little group?" Faith asked, unconvinced. "I fought with you all against Twilight, don't forget. What's to say I'm not on her Hit List, too?"

"The difference is, everyone knows that you and Buffy don't get along," Willow stated.

Buffy bit her bottom lip. "That's not entirely true, Wills." She glanced uneasily at the brunette slayer. "We get along, don't we?"

Faith shrugged, her shoulders rising and falling in a quick movement. "Yeah, I guess so," she grunted.

"But it wouldn't take much to convince Simone and her sheep that you've gone rogue again," Willow insisted. "All we need to do is stage some kind of public fight between you and Buffy, and get the rumor mill churning."

"So, I go rogue again, befriend Simone, and I tell her that I'll play double agent," Faith thought out loud. "Sounds like a nice game of role-playing," she observed. "…'cause I need more of that in my life," she mumbled to herself.

"If Simone finds out you're in town and you're fighting with Buffy, you probably won't even have to confront her – she'll probably seek you out," Willow noted, the plan churning in her brain. "Having one of the Originals on her team would be quite a feather in her hat."

Xander picked up one of Simone's photographs. He twisted the photo paper as if deeply examining the woman's features. "Do you think she wears hats?" he mused aloud. "With that hair, you'd think it'd be pretty difficult."

Dawn laughed but rolled her eyes as she made her way to take place on her boyfriend's lap. "Xander, I love you, but you're such a dork sometimes."

The one-eyed man gave his girlfriend a wide grin. "You wouldn't love me half as much if it wasn't for my dorky boyish charms." The couple leaned in to share a disturbing session of eskimo kisses.

Buffy made an uncomfortable noise in the back of her throat. "Well, I guess that's my cue to get to work," she said, her voice cracking. She sighed, stood up, and wiped her palms on the front of her jeans.

Looking down at the seated brunette slayer, Buffy paused. "You wouldn't want to go on patrol with me, would you, Faith?" she asked. "We could talk more about the plan," she offered.

Faith raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the request. "Just like old times, huh?"

"Something like that," Buffy mused. "But maybe with less of us beating each other up though. We could focus our energy on vampires instead," she smiled.

"I appreciate the invite, B," Faith thanked in earnest, "but I'm gonna do a little reconnaissance." The Boston girl stood as well and stretched her legs, stiff from sitting on the ground. "No time like the present to get started on this double-agent gig, right?"

"You shouldn't go off on your own so soon," Buffy protested with a small frown. "You don't even know how to find Simone."

"I'll figure it out," Faith said confidently. "I'm pretty resourceful. Besides, if this plan is gonna work out, we probably shouldn't be seen together."

"Don't be stubborn, Faith," Buffy insisted. She put her hands on her hips. "You don't know the city, and there's a bunch of rogue slayers out there looking to beat up anyone who goes on their turf," she noted. "We've got to work together. We can have our public fight later."

Faith felt annoyed. She'd flown halfway around the globe to help Buffy and the Scoobies, only to discover they wanted her to fight with Buffy again. They'd pulled her away from her work in England when any other inexperienced Slayer could have been a double-agent for their side. And now Buffy was back to her old routine of bossing her around.

"Fine," the brunette woman grumbled. "You can come along. Just don't get in the way."

Buffy opened her mouth to issue a retort, but decided against it. The easy-going and genial woman from yesterday at the coffee shop was apparently gone, replaced by the closed-off slayer with whom the blonde was all-too familiar.

The honeymoon was over.

"It's bad enough having you tag along, but why does the Worst Witch have to come, too?" Faith complained. The Bostonian walked at a brisk pace towards her parked car. The wind was starting to pick up off of the Bay, bringing a chill to the early summer air.

"Shhh," Buffy hushed the younger slayer. She pulled on a dark, thin hoodie and tried to keep up with Faith's long strides. "She's just trying to be helpful," she whispered.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, B," Faith said in an equally quiet tone, "but without magic, Willow's not gonna be much help."

"I can't just tell her to go home," Buffy protested. "She's all alone in her apartment now that Kennedy left; plus, she's gotten used to being in the middle of all the action. Even if she can't do magic anymore, she wants to be here." The blonde sighed. "Old habits are hard to break, I guess."

Faith glanced sideways at the Chosen One. "Don't I know it," she mumbled under her breath.

"Don't worry about Willow," Buffy assured her sister-Slayer as they made it to the car. "I'll make sure she stays out of trouble."

A few moments later, the red-haired woman bounded up to Faith's parked rental car where the two slayers waited. "Sorry about that," Willow apologized, slightly out of breath from jogging. "I had to change into something more conducive to, you know, keep from turning into a Popsicle stick or something."

Faith said nothing. She unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat. Buffy climbed into the passenger side of the car and Willow took the backseat.

"So where to?" Faith asked, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.

"Simone's got her headquarters in a building down by the Wharf. It's a major tourist area, so it's always crawling with out-of-towners easy to pickpocket and scam," Buffy observed. She pulled down the visor and checked her hair in the small mirror there. "I think that's how they're financing this slayer take-over, but I wouldn't be surprised if they have some kind of financial backer like how the Military was supporting Twilight."

"A secret sugar daddy, huh?" Faith smirked, pulling the car out of park. "How'd you find where Simone was holed up, anyway?"

Willow laughed from the backseat. "You can thank Buffy's sweet tooth for that," she explained. "She and Simone practically ran into each other at the Candy Barrel."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her lower lip. "I never did get my saltwater taffy," she pouted. "Also, as a side note to anyone who cares, those barrels are not full of taffy. They simply pour the candy on top of the barrel to make it a deceitful saltwater taffy haven."

The younger slayer slipped out a weak smile. "How'd you manage to find that out? Try to hide in one or something?" The silence that followed was enough of an answer. "Seriously, B?"

"It was just a fleeting thought," Buffy protested. "It's not like I _actually_ tried it."

Faith smirked as she continued to traverse the dark San Francisco streets. "I'd pay to see that."

The drive to Fisherman's Wharf was quick despite it being the peak of the tourist season. Faith found a parking spot in the lot across the street from the harbor, and the three women made their way into the center of the bustling neighborhood.

The air smelled salty and faintly reminded Faith of growing up on the East Coast. The Wharf was crowded with families and couples who casually strolled along the heavily trafficked pavement on one side and splintered old wood planks on the other.

Faith shoved her hands deep into her front pockets as she and the other two women began to walk along the boardwalk. "So what exactly are we doing here?"

"I just want to point out some landmarks down here to help orient you to the city," Buffy explained. "Simone's building is just around the corner. The ground floor is a t-shirt shop, but she's taken over the upper floors. She's either a tenant or the entire business is a front." She glanced sharply at the brunette slayer. "And I don't have to remind you that this is only a recon mission, not a face-to-face."

Faith sighed. "Yeah, I got it, B."

The three women avoided the crowds and walked along the waterfront. Over the din of mingling tourists, Faith could hear the Pacific Ocean as it crashed onto the rocky beach below the elevated pier. If she ignored all the sticky-fingered children and the parents in fanny-packs, the Wharf was actually kind of peaceful and almost romantic. There was something about large bodies of water meeting earth that struck at her core.

Willow stood at the edge of the fenced-in pier, overlooking the Bay. Her red hair whipped around her face. "You know..." she thought aloud, gazing out into the dark water. "Back in the 1960s a group of activists took over Alcatraz Island to protest the government's treatment of American Indians. You don't think Simone's planning something similar, do you?" she proposed. "That might explain why they're camped here at Fisherman's Wharf."

"To protest the mistreatment of American Indians?" Buffy questioned, her features scrunching together in confusion.

Willow gave a short laugh. "No, planning on taking over Alcatraz. If she's really planning some major Slayer assault, it would be a near-perfect headquarters – isolated and easily defendable."

"How do you know so much random stuff?" Buffy wondered at her best friend.

The red-haired girl smiled sheepishly. "I paid attention in history class?" she said with a shrug.

Buffy beamed at her long-time friend. "You don't need magic to be special, Wills. You're amazing even without it."

Faith cleared her throat. "I don't wanna break up all this hand-holding and kumbaya'ing, but isn't that Simone over there?"

Both Buffy and Willow's heads snapped in the direction where Faith subtly pointed. Sitting on a metal bench with a number of other similarly-aged girls about 10 yards away lounged the rogue pink-haired slayer. Simone's jaw worked on a large piece of gum that she periodically blew into large bubbles, before snapping the gum back into her mouth.

Sitting next to her, playing an acoustic guitar and pandering for money was the green-skirted slayer Faith recognized from the coffee shop. The other girls around them were slayers and former witches, no doubt, but the Bostonian didn't recognize any of them from either the fight against The First or Twilight.

"Buffy…oh my Goddess," Willow gasped. She grabbed Buffy by the elbow and her free hand went up to her mouth. "Tell me that's not who I think it is."

Buffy searched the crowd looking for what the former witch was referring to. A lithe-figured woman walked up to Simone. The rogue slayer stood and embraced the other girl, clapping her hard on the back. The woman's face was obstructed from Buffy's line of sight, but when she pulled away from the mohawked slayer, Buffy's hazel-eyes refocused on the familiar face.

The Chose One's lips formed a hard line. "I wish I could," she said in an icy tone.

"What are you two yammering about?" Faith complained.

Buffy stared at the familiar figure from afar. "It's Satsu," she said, the name tumbling from her mouth like an accusation. "She's helping Simone."

The Californian swallowed hard. She was surprised by the sudden sting of tears at the corners of her eyes. After the destruction of the Seed of Wonder, Buffy had lost touch with the Asian slayer. Satsu had fought alongside Buffy and the other slayers in the final battle against Twilight, but the blonde had had little time for pleasantries. Between Angel's betrayal and destroying the seed, everything else had seemed unimportant. She'd assumed the girl had gone back to Tokyo to resume leadership over the Japan-based Slayer cell.

"There's got to be some other explanation," Willow assured her best friend. She touched Buffy's forearm reassuringly. "Maybe she's just in town for a visit and doesn't know what Simone's about."

"Or she's getting her revenge because I didn't want a relationship," Buffy posed, her eyes still trained on the Asian slayer. Her body felt rigid as she gazed on her former lover.

"I'm sure that's not it at all, Buff," the redhead reasoned. "She's probably on vacation. Maybe she didn't even know Simone lived here – they could have just bumped into each other. Stranger things have happened."

"I didn't think they even _knew _each other," Buffy marveled, rooted to the spot even though she knew getting spotted by either Simone or Satsu would lead to disaster. "When would they have met?" the blonde questioned, her brain working overtime to make the connection. "They were never in the same training cell, never stationed in the same city at the same time. Simone was in Chicago when Satsu was in Scotland and when Simone got shipped to Italy, Satsu was in Tokyo."

"Can we just stop and go back for a second?" Faith requested, her dark eyes going back and forth between the slayer and the former witch as if watching a tennis match. Every fiber in her body wanted to confront the pink-haired slayer. She couldn't handle standing so close to the rogue woman and be expected to do nothing. "Who's Satsu?" The name rolled over her tongue uneasily.

Buffy winced. Even though Faith and Satsu had fought on the same side against Twilight, the Chosen One had never made a formal introduction. "Satsu…she's…we might have slept together a few times," she stated weakly.

Faith felt an unexpected bubble of laughter brew at the pit of her stomach. It rumbled up her body, and escaped from her mouth before she could stop it. Her outburst drew the attention of a few people standing nearest to their threesome.

"We've got to get out of here," Willow said, her voice suddenly nervous. "There's too many innocent people here. Someone's going to get hurt if they spot us."

"Or I walk on over and introduce myself," Faith suggested, no longer laughing. She worked the muscles in her jaw, clenching and unclenching her back teeth. Her gaze was no longer trained on Simone, however. She had a new target.

"Let's just go back to Dawn and Xander's place," Buffy said in a voice verging on desperation. "We need to regroup. This…" She glanced once more in the direction of Satsu who looked deep in conversation with Simone. "…changes things."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Faith shifted the bags of Chinese take-out in her arms in order to unlock and open her motel room. When she gained entrance, she found her girlfriend lying on her stomach on top of the single bed, watching television, and eating Twizzlers.

"I come bearing food," Faith announced, adroitly closing the door behind her with just the toe of her boot.

The woman on the bed made a relieved noise. "Finally!" she cheered, twisting to sit up. "I think I ate everything out of the vending machine waiting for you to get back." She hopped up and padded over to the brunette slayer.

"Then what are you complaining about?" Faith laughed.

"A girl cannot live on sugar alone you know," the small blonde informed her partner. She gave Faith a quick peck on the cheek.

The Bostonian set the two full paper bags on the small table in a corner of the room and began to take out the bags' contents. "I guess it's a good thing I ordered just about one of everything on the menu," she observed with a wide grin.

The blonde looked over Faith's shoulder at the array of white containers. "So did you bother to get anything for me?"

"Ha. Ha," Faith deadpanned. "Are you calling me fat?"

The shorter woman walked her fingers up the brunette's flat abdomen over her t-shirt. "I wouldn't mind if you gained a few pounds," she admitted. "More to hold onto," she grinned slyly.

Faith leaned it to kiss the other girl, but the blonde ducked out of the way and grabbed one of the white boxes off the small table. "You, love, have a one-track mind."

"Hey, you know it's hard to think of much else when you insist on looking like that," Faith defended herself.

The other woman sat back on the queen-sized mattress, folding her legs Indian-style. "I'm amazed you can even function in public," she remarked. "Speaking of which, how was your super-secret Scooby meeting tonight?" she asked as she eagerly dug into her lo mein.

"Pretty eventful actually," the Boston slayer revealed. She grabbed a box of vegetables and chicken and sat down on the bed next to the British woman. "We took a fieldtrip to the area where Simone's been shacked up, and we nearly ran into her," Faith noted in between bites of food. "Oh, and I got to meet Buffy's girlfriend."

The other girl nearly choked on her noodles. "What?" she exclaimed. "Buffy has a _girlfriend_?"

"I might be exaggerating," Faith said wryly. "But she apparently shagged some newbie slayer when I was off working with Giles."

The other woman set her chopsticks down and searched Faith's face for any sign of emotion. "How are…um…how are you doing?"

"Me? What do you mean?" Faith asked, feigning innocence.

The British woman scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me, Lehane."

"I'm fine," Faith insisted gruffly. "And I technically didn't meet her. Just saw her from afar." The brunette reached for a crab rangoon with her chopsticks. "Looks like Buffy's little roll in the hay wants her dead just as much as Simone does. Gotta give it to Buffy," Faith said with an almost-malicious snicker. "She sure does have a complicated love life."

"Said the kettle to the pot."

Faith scowled and looked cross. "Just eat your food, woman, and be thankful."

The blonde Brit flashed a quick smile as a peace offering. "So now what?" she questioned. "Does Buffy still want you to be double-agent girl?"

"I don't know," Faith said with a quick shrug. "She wanted to talk it out more tonight, but I didn't stick around."

"Why not?"

Faith smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes dramatically. " 'Cause I wanted to come back to you, of course."

The blonde threw a fortune cookie at her partner. "You're such a cheeseball," she stated, shaking her head.

Faith caught the wafer cookie before it could hit her. In a fluid motion, she put her cartoon of Chinese food on the floor and promptly tackled her partner onto the mattress like something out of a cartoon.

"Hey!" the blonde pouted as Faith straddled her and pinned her arms at her sides. "I wasn't done eating."

Faith's full lips curled into a leer. "If I'm such a cheeseball," she remarked, "I guess it's a good thing you're not lactose intolerant."

Buffy flopped down on the futon in the back den that, for the past few months, had served as her bedroom. "What a long, crazy day," she announced.

Willow followed in after her. "You can say that again. And here I thought seeing Faith was going to be excitement enough. I certainly didn't expect to see both Satsu and Simone tonight."

The blonde slayer stared up at the ceiling. "You can go ahead and say it, you know. I deserve it."

Willow set her bag down on the ground and sat down beside it on the carpet. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Buffy propped herself up on an elbow to look at her best friend. "You know. How it's my own fault that Satsu turned against me. How I should have been more careful with her, knowing how much she loved me."

Willow blinked a few times and shook her head. "That thought never even crossed my mind," she insisted.

Buffy eyeballed the redhead. "Uh huh. You're not a very good liar, Wills. It's one of the many reasons I like you so much."

Willow's cheeks pinked. "Okay, so maybe it's a _little _bit your fault."

Buffy smiled weakly. "That's better."

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it," Willow started hesitantly,  
>"but why <em>did<em> you sleep with her, anyway?"

Buffy looked at her long-time friend and sighed. "I was lonely and she was pretty." The blonde winced and covered her face with her hands. "Does that make me sound like a horrible person?"

Willow's mouth twisted into a small smile. "A little."

Faith walked out of the motel bathroom, towel drying her long, dark hair. The blonde girl sat on the bed in the center of the room, her eyes glued to the laptop screen.

"Find any good porn?" Faith asked, only half-joking. She tossed her damp towel back in the bathroom and began to pick through her duffle bag on the floor to finish getting ready for the new day.

The girl wrinkled her nose. "No, I've been looking online at local places to eat. I think I've decided on what I want for breakfast."

Faith quirked an eyebrow at the attractive girl as she pulled on jeans and a t-shirt. "Oh really? I don't get a say in this?"

"No." The British woman looked momentarily thoughtful. "Actually, I think it's only fair that I make all the big food decisions from now on, considering I'm the one stuck in here for the majority of the day."

Faith grinned and sat down on the bed next to the girl. "Well, you sure made your case." She rested her chin on the other woman's shoulder and looked at the computer screen. "So where will it be today?"

The blonde pointed at a hyperlink on the screen. "This place looks promising, and it's relatively close," she stated. "If I call now, they might be able to put together our order in the next 10 to 20 minutes. That should give you enough time to get there, come back, eat, and be off to do your saving-the-world thing."

"You mean saving-the blonde-thing," Faith corrected with a grin.

The woman laughed and playfully swatted at the brunette slayer. Faith grabbed the girl's hands and pulled her in for a kiss that lingered unexpectedly.

"I don't feel like going," Faith sighed. She pressed her forehead against her girlfriend's. "Why couldn't our motel have room service?"

"Don't start with that," the British-born girl complained sourly. She wiggled out of Faith's hold. "I'd go for you if I could, but I can't." She placed her palms on her flat abdomen. "But if I don't get some food soon, my stomach's going to start digesting my other internal organs."

"Are you for real?"

The girl's eyebrows furrowed together. "No, silly. It's just a figure of speech."

"Alright," Faith conceded with a heaving sigh. "I guess I can go grab breakfast. But only if—,"

"I am _not_ going to have sex with you for my breakfast," the Brit cut in. "Don't play with my hunger, love," the girl warned with a steely glance.

Faith's expression revealed mock pain. "You make havin' sex with me sound so bad."

"It's a talent," the girl shrugged, looking smug. "What can I say?"

"What I was originally going to say was," Faith began again, and ignoring the girl's barbs. "I'll go, but only if a _pretty girl_ wouldn't mind keeping me company on my journey."

"Really?" The blonde woman's voice was calm, but Faith could see the excitement in her eyes. Normally the Brit would have made a sarcastic crack about the "pretty girl" comment instead of showing genuine emotion.

"Yes." Faith nodded. "I think it's time San Francisco finally got a taste of you."

"Right now?"

"Yes!" Faith chuckled. "So get changed, and we can get you fed and then do some sight-seeing."

"But don't you have to be a super hero today?" the other woman asked, looking momentarily saddened.

Faith waved a dismissive hand. "Nah. I can't really do much until Buffy gets off of work. It's not really an efficient way to go about fighting Simone, but B's calling the shots, not me." She flashed her girlfriend a brilliant smile. "We've got the whole day, just you and me."

The blonde woman hopped off the bed and walked over to the dresser bureau. She opened the top drawer and scanned the clothes she had brought on the trip. "What's the weather supposed to be like today?"

"Cold," Faith stated flatly. She lay back on the mattress and propped her head up with her folded arms.

"But it's California and it's summer," the other woman pointed out.

"San Francisco didn't get the memo."

"Layers it is," the blonde said aloud, more to herself than to her partner. The British-born woman grabbed a handful of clothes and rushed off to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"I don't know why you don't change in front of me," Faith mildly complained through the closed bathroom door.

"A girl's gotta keep a little mystery about her," came a muffled reply.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened and the woman stepped out. She wore a three-quarter length top paired with skinny jeans, boots, and a woven houndstooth scarf knotted around her neck. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her makeup was light with her eyes done up to highlight the green in her irises. She cocked her hip to one side, striking a pose. "How do you like the look?"

The Boston girl gave her girlfriend a lazy smile as she indulged in the view. Faith slid out of bed and wrapped her arms around the girl's waist. "Let's just say," she began, leaning to murmur and nuzzle her nose against the other woman's ear, "you're exactly who I want to show off to the world."

The British woman held up an oversized t-shirt and made a face. Screen-printed on the front was the figure of a tanned woman wearing a bikini. "I'll never understand Americans," she mumbled.

Faith sidled up next to her partner. She unwrapped a piece of salt-water taffy and popped it into her mouth. "You want that?" she asked around the chewy candy.

After a leisurely breakfast, the two women had traveled to Fisherman's Wharf to play tourist. Faith hadn't told the other girl that the tourist-location was Simone-central, but she decided she could entertain her partner while also checking out the area at the same time.

The other woman rolled her eyes and refolded the t-shirt. "Please," she drawled. "You should know by now that I have better taste than that."

"You have a point…" Faith mused, looking thoughtful. "You do have _me _as a girlfriend, so obviously good taste is a quality you have."

"Hah," the British woman chortled, as she began to sort through another pile of tops. "Good taste or bad luck?"

Faith's full bottom lip popped out in an uncharacteristic pout.

"I mean…good luck…" the other woman quickly self-corrected when she looked up and saw her girlfriend's reaction. The British woman gave her partner a fierce smile and nodded. "Yes…definitely good luck."

The Bostonian sniffled dramatically and tried to turn away.

The other woman grabbed the retreating brunette and pulled her close. "Even though I know you're playing around right now," she murmured, cupping Faith's face, "that pout is killing me."

Faith's lips curved into a devilish smile. "Good. Mission accomplished."

The other girl smirked and pulled her hands away. "For supposedly being a badass rogue slayer," she remarked, focusing her attention back on the stacks of t-shirts on the display tables around her, "you sure are a child stuck in an adult's body."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Faith asked, putting her hands on her hips. "At least I'm not physically changing to play the part," she pointed out. "100% adult body here."

The British woman smiled privately. "That I know for sure," she mumbled. "But I honestly think that you have a complex."

Faith laughed. "Is that your way of saying I'm too much for you to handle?"

"No, it's my way of saying you're crazy, but I love it," the other girl added. She pulled some clothes off a table and held them up for the brunette to approve. "I'm gonna try these on, hun. I hope your credit card can handle it."

Faith started to walk in the direction of the fitting room. Her partner stopped her, however, putting her hand in the center of the other woman's chest. "Where do you think you're going?"

"What? I thought you might want some company in the fitting rooms," Faith said innocently.

"Uh huh. 'Company.' I'm _not _getting kicked out of another clothing store because of you, missy," the woman informed her partner with slightly narrowed eyes. "Your country might deport me."

Faith grinned. "Where's your sense of adventure, babe?"

"I guess I left it back at the motel," her girlfriend remarked wryly. "Now stay here while I try these things on. I won't be long," she promised before walking away.

Left to her own devices, Faith began to sift through the piles of t-shirts. After looking at a few garments more closely, she abandoned the idea and turned her attentions to waiting for her girlfriend to immerge from the dressing rooms. She entertained the idea of going back into the fitting rooms even though her partner had insisted she stay put.

"Can I help you with something?" a short blonde woman asked, stepping up next to the Boston slayer.

"Naw, I'm good," Faith replied, not really bothering to look at the store employee. "Just looking."

"Well maybe I can help you find something." The shop clerk picked up a grey tank top and held it up in front of Faith's torso. "You've got the arms for it; I bet you look killer in tank tops," she remarked, cocking her head to one side as if to better inspect the brunette slayer.

Faith couldn't help the predatory leer that fell so naturally onto her lips. "I look even better without them," she reflexively purred.

"I don't doubt that at all," the girl giggled.

The Bostonian took a moment to inspect the overly helpful shop girl. She might have been in a relationship, but there was no hurt in observing her surroundings, she reasoned. The woman was a few inches shorter than herself and wore form fitting jeans and a v-neck t-shirt that practically spilled over with cleavage. Her hair was blonde, but Faith could tell it didn't come to her naturally, and her skin looked freshly sun-kissed as if she'd been to the beach earlier in the day. Nothing about her seemed to indicate she was employed at the shop minus the ring of keys on a bungie around her right wrist.

"Are you sure I can't help you with anything?" the short blonde asked, aware of Faith's none-too-subtle gaze on her. "It's what I get paid to do, after all."

Faith was nearly positive the woman's t-shirt shifted to reveal even more of her bust line.

"I thought that was you," came a familiar female voice from behind the Bostonian.

Faith looked away from the store clerk's breasts and grinned when she recognized the owner of the new voice.

"Dawn! Hey!" Faith hugged the unexpected shopper. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just doing some errands," the brunette girl explained, "and I thought I saw you through the front window. Who's your friend?" Dawn asked, nodding in the direction of the blonde woman.

Faith glanced at the blonde shop employee. "I honestly don't know," she said with a short laugh. "Who_ are_ you?"

The girl pointed at the nametag that had gone unnoticed pinned to her tight t-shirt. "I'm Jane."

"She's Jane," Faith echoed with a broad grin.

"So she's not your girlfriend or something?" Dawn asked, still suspicious.

"No. Why would you think that?" Faith asked, trying to keep the tone of her voice under control. She guiltily looked in the direction of the changing rooms.

Dawn shrugged. "You just haven't been around a lot since you got to town is all. I thought maybe there was a reason, like you were hiding a secret girlfriend or boyfriend or something. I know you're, uh," she glanced in the direction of the store employee who continued to hang around, "just here for business, but I thought we'd get to hang out more."

"I'm sorry if it feels like that, D," Faith apologized. The brunette looked at the blonde sales associate. "Um, Jane, do you mind?"

"Oh! Sorry!" the shapely girl exclaimed. "I'm being rude. And I've got, um, shirts to fold. If you need anything…" she gave Faith a lingeringly look, "you know where to find me."

Dawn waited until the sales clerk was out of earshot. "Does that happen to you a lot?"

"Does what happen to me?" the Bostonian asked.

"Groupies."

Faith grinned. "Yeah, I guess," she replied with a sheepish shrug. "Kinda. Plus it's San Francisco. You can't throw a rock without hittin' a lesbian."

Dawn folded her arms across her chest. "So back to you hiding from us."

"Yeah…" Faith scratched at the back of her neck. "I'm not hiding, D. I…I just don't wanna step on anyone's toes," she explained. "This is B's town and I made the mistake once before of trying to overstep my bounds."

"Just because Buffy's a bitch doesn't mean that _we _can't hang out," the younger brunette pointed out abruptly.

Faith laughed. "I won't tell her you said that."

Dawn shrugged. "Tell her anything you want, especially if it'll make her finally get an apartment of her own."

"Yeah, about that," Faith started uncomfortably. "Is she really that hard up for money that she's gotta bunk with you and Xander?"

"Maybe, I don't know. She sure does work a lot at that coffee shop," Dawn revealed with a shrug. "I suggested she could move in with Willow now that Kennedy's disappeared. It's not like Xander and I have a ton of room at our apartment for the three of us."

"What's stopping her?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her yourself," the girl sighed. She absentmindedly picked up a t-shirt that said "I heart SF" and set it back down on a pile of shirts. "Maybe she doesn't think I'm old enough to be on my own yet.

"Can you blame her for wanting to stick close though? You guys are the only family each other have," Faith pointed out.

Dawn made a face. "Yeah, but it would be nice to have sex with my boyfriend without worrying that my sister is gonna overhear us."

Faith reached for something to grab and caught herself on a display table nearby. "Jesus, Dawnie." She put her hand on her heart and pretended like she was having problems breathing. "You gotta warn me before you say something like that. I'm fragile."

Dawn smirked at the slayer's reaction. "Just promise we'll hang out more before you leave to go back to England, okay?" she pled. "I miss you," she emphasized. "You're like the only one who's ever treated me as an equal.

Faith released the display table and righted herself. She gave Dawn a genuine smile. "Alright, D. I promise."

Dawn gave the taller slayer another brief hug. "I'd stick around, but I've got to get home and then get to class," she stated. "We're hanging out soon, okay?"

"You bet on it."

Dawned flashed the brunette slayer a final smile before walking out the store's front entrance.

"I couldn't find anything I liked," came a voice from behind Faith. The Boston slayer spun to see her girlfriend had suddenly re-appeared.

"Hey, I was starting to worry you'd been kidnapped," Faith joked.

"I didn't want to interrupt," the other woman stated unhappily. "You looked like you were making friends."

"That was Buffy's little sister, Dawn," Faith said, absolving herself of any wrong-doing. "You should have come over. I would have introduced you."

The British woman quirked an eyebrow. "And how about the blonde girl with the boobs?"

Faith laughed and grabbed her girlfriend's elbow. "C'mon, babe. Let's keep shopping," she urged pulling her back outside and into the sunlight. "You look really good in green."

"So I figure after lunch we could go to the city aquarium. I read online that they have a hands-on area where you can touch sea cucumbers."

"I'd rather get hands-on with_ you_ than with a sea cucumber," Faith smirked. She wiggled her eyebrows at her girlfriend.

The British woman snorted. "Okay. I set myself up for that one."

Faith grinned at her girlfriend across the restaurant table. A buzzing noise interrupted their conversation.

"Your bat phone is ringing."

Faith wrinkled her nose. She looked down at the flashing screen and saw Xander's name and number. "Sorry, babe," she apologized. "I should probably take this."

The Bostonian pressed the touch-screen and brought the phone to her ear. "Hey, Xand-man."

"It's Buffy," came a familiar voice on the other line.

"You should really get your own number, B," Faith chuckled. She picked at a fry that was getting cold on her plate. "I coulda said something totally inappropriate thinking you were Xander."

"What are you doing right now?" Buffy bluntly questioned.

"Uh, having lunch."

"Can we meet up later?" the blonde asked. "Spike's got some new information for us about Simone. We could get dinner after sunset and talk shop."

"Sounds fine by me," Faith breezed. "Should I bring a date?"

"What?" Buffy's voice was filled with confusion.

"If you're bringing Spike to dinner, shouldn't I have a date, too?"

Faith winked playfully at the girl seated at the table with her. The other woman rolled her eyes and took another bite of her salad.

On the telephone, Buffy made a choking noise. "I'm not _dating _Spike," she protested.

"So just fucking then?"

"No!" Buffy squeaked. "It's not a date. It's business. And he and I…we don't…we don't _do that anymore_."

"Sorry, B," the brunette laughed good-naturedly. "You know I'm just bustin' your chops. You make it too easy."

"Are you drunk?" the Chosen One demanded warily.

Faith's features crumpled in confusion. "No? Why?"

"You just sound…happy or something," the other woman observed.

"It's a sunshiney day in California. Why shouldn't I be happy?" Faith pressed.

"Yeah, well, whatever," Buffy scoffed. "Just please don't be so 'happy' in front of Spike. He's easily encouraged."

"Duly noted," Faith chuckled into the phone. "Meet up at your place around 5?"

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "See you then."

Faith ended the call and set her phone back on the table. When she looked up, she found her date glaring at her from across the table.

"What?" Faith asked, innocently. She flashed her partner a dimpled grin.

The woman only shook her head and stabbed her fork into another bite of salad. "You know."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

Faith woke from her nap to the sound of a brisk knock at the front door of her motel room. She sat up, disoriented, unable to immediately place where she was. She looked at the red-illuminated clock on the bedside table and made a face when she saw how late in the evening it was.

She'd slept through dinner.

The knocking at the front door continued, and Faith groggily sat up in bed. The brunette glanced at the woman sleeping beside her. Despite Faith moving around, the girl next to her was still sound asleep. Faith knew from experience that the other woman was a deep sleeper. Little could wake her up when she was overly tired.

After exploring the city, the two had returned to their motel room with the intention of taking a short nap before Faith needed to get ready for her dinner meeting with Buffy and Spike. She'd _thought _she'd set the alarm clock. She quietly cursed when she realized she must have either turned off the alarm and gone back to sleep or had set it for AM and not PM.

Another knock, this time louder, finally got Faith fully out of bed. Not bothering to put on any pants, she padded over to the door and looked out the peephole.

Buffy was standing outside her door.

A feeling of panic washed over the brunette.

"Just a minute," she called through the door.

Faith hastily grabbed a pair of jeans off the floor and pulled them on. Despite being frazzled by Buffy's unannounced appearance, she had the hindsight to slip the room key into her back pocket. Hazarding a glance in the direction of the bed one last time, she opened the door.

Faith opened the door a crack and slipped outside, closing the door behind her. Buffy gave the Bostonian a strange look, not expecting Faith to meet her outside instead of inviting her in.

"S'up, B?" Faith croaked in a voice thick with sleep. A brisk breeze hit her bare body parts, and she rubbed her palms up and down her arms to ward off the chill. "Something I can help you with?"

"You weren't at dinner," Buffy stated. "I got worried." She took in the sight of the brunette. She wore nothing but jeans and a black tank top. Her feet were bare and her long hair was loose and slightly disheveled.

"Sorry about that. I overslept," the brunette excused herself. She nervously scratched at the back of her neck. "I guess that international flight took more outta me than I thought. My internal clock is all wonky, trying to deal with the time change. You didn't have to come all the way over here."

"I would have called," the golden-haired girl explained, "but Xander and Dawn are out on a date," she said, her nose wrinkling at the words, "and he's the only one who has your phone number."

Faith brushed her fingers through her sleep-tussled locks, feeling slightly self-conscious around the blonde slayer. It suddenly occurred to her that she'd never told the blonde the name of her motel or her room number. "How'd you find me?"

Buffy cleared her throat. "I, uh, I just _felt _for you. I remembered you saying you were staying near the airport, so I um, just kinda put the feelers on and drove around."

Faith wasn't sure what to say or how to feel. Should she be freaked out that their connection was that strong? Honored that Buffy had even come looking for her when she'd flaked out on dinner? She briefly considered tossing out a joke about Buffy making a good hunting or police dog, but dismissed the idea.

"Is that your ride?" she asked instead, nodding in the direction of a parked car near them.

"No. It's Xander's."

"Xander let _you _drive his car?" the brunette slayer said in disbelief.

"He doesn't know I'm borrowing it," Buffy revealed. "He and Dawn walked to a restaurant just around the corner from the apartment, so I just took his keys."

"I'm pretty sure that's called _stealing,_" Faith pointed out.

Buffy shrugged. "Poh-tay-to, pah-tah-to." She cocked her head to one side. "Is everything alright with you?"

Faith's eyebrows knit together. "Sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know…" Buffy hesitated. "You just seem…a little different."

The corner of Faith's mouth curled up. "How would you know, B? You don't know me anymore, so how can you say I'm being 'different'?"

Buffy's lips formed a small frown. "Okay. I deserve that. It's just that ever since you got here, it seems like you can't wait to leave," she lightly complained. "Even though we've got this Big Bad to deal with, I thought you'd might want to, I don't know, hang out with us?"

Faith sighed and kicked at a small piece of gravel on the cracked sidewalk outside of her motel room. "I promise I'm not avoiding you guys," she said to the blonde. "I had this exact conversation with Dawn earlier today."

"Then why do you keep bailing?" Buffy pressed.

"If you and the Scoobs don't have anything planned," Faith stated, ignoring Buffy's question, "how about we all hang out tomorrow night? I can make up for missin' out on dinner tonight."

"It had better be a really good do-over." Buffy's face looked pained. "I had to suffer through an evening with Spike on my own."

Faith laughed. "I guess I do owe you."

"What do you propose?"

"I'm not the expert on all that is San Francisco," Faith shrugged, "so I'll leave that up to you. But I figure we can talk shop, have a few drinks, maybe do some dancing?"

"I'd like that," Buffy smiled softly.

"Cool."

"I'll wrangle up the gang," the blonde said, already thinking ahead. "There's a club we go to sometimes."

"You sure you can squeeze it into your busy schedule?" Faith asked, only half joking.

"I'll take a night off from patrolling," Buffy nodded. "I deserve a night off once in a while," she reasoned. "Plus not all of the slayers in San Francisco want me dead. There's still a handful of girls loyal to me who can take over my patrolling area."

"Sounds fine to me," Faith agreed. "What time?"

"Meet you there around 9?" Buffy proposed. "Xander can text you the directions. Or I could come pick you up," she offered.

"I don't want to make you drive all the way out here again. Plus Xander might not be so forgiving the second time you steal his car," Faith said with a grin. "I'll meet you there."

"Okay."

Buffy stood awkwardly, not sure how to leave. Why did these 'goodbyes' have to be so uncomfortable? Why did she always feel not like herself around the other slayer?

"Okay," Faith repeated, just as awkwardly. She shoved her hands deep into the front pockets of her jeans in lieu of something to do.

"So…yeah…tomorrow," Buffy chatted. "It'll be fun. Productive, of course," she quickly added. "But fun."

Faith nodded once again.

The blonde gave her sister-Slayer a forced grin. "Okay. So…bye!" she finally chirped.

Buffy turned on her heels and walked away from the motel, back to her parked car. Faith remained outside her motel room. She watched the blonde slayer unlock the driver side door and climb into Xander's compact car.

With a final wave, Buffy pulled her car out of park and began to drive away. Only when she watched the red taillights of the Chosen One's car pull out of the motel parking lot did Faith finally open the door to her rented room.

Faith underlined her right eye with dark kohl eyeliner. "You could always come out with us tonight, babe. You don't have to stay in the room."

The British woman stood in the doorway of the motel bathroom and watched as her lover got ready for the evening. "I can't meet your friends wearing this," she snorted, almost offended by the idea.

Faith rolled her eyes. "Then get changed and come out with us."

The other woman bit her bottom lip. "I think it's a bad idea," she opined. "Besides, I'm getting used to having more than 4 channels on the tube."

"Fine, but don't bitch at me later saying I never asked," the brunette slayer noted, putting the finishing touches on her make-up.

Faith's partner laughed and turned, walking away from the bathroom. "Maybe I enjoy being your dirty little secret," she called over her shoulder.

"Or maybe you just like hiding out," the Bostonian countered, exiting the small bathroom as well.

The dark-haired woman pulled on her leather boots and ran her fingers through her loose locks one more time. "How do I look?" she asked, holding her hands out at her sides for inspection. Faith wore a grey scoop-neck tank top that hugged at her breasts and curves, paired with black leather pants slung low on her hips.

The British twenty-something flopped down on the mattress and flipped on the television. "Certainly good enough to be meeting up with old friends," she said with a coy smile. "I hope you're planning on wearing a sweater over all that cleavage."

Faith couldn't help the grin that settled on her lips. "If you're jealous, babe, I don't have to go out."

"I have no right to be jealous, especially when I parade around looking like this," the woman pointed out.

"Put on your going-out look, and we can dance the night away," Faith offered again.

"You feel guilty that I'm stuck in the room, don't you?" the British woman asked, quirking her head to the side.

"Maybe just a bit," Faith said glumly. "I've been pretty absent."

"With good reason," her girlfriend pragmatically pointed out. "Go and have fun," she urged, with a shooing gesture. "I know that you want me there, so the simple invitation is enough for me."

Faith hesitated by the door once again. "Okay. If you're sure. Final answer?"

"For the last time," the blonde laughed mirthfully, "go and enjoy yourself."

The brunette nodded and smiled.

"Before you leave though, come over here... " her partner trailed off. She curled her finger at her partner.

Faith obeyed, stepping a few feet closer to the reclined woman. The smaller blonde stood. She tugged on one of the straps of Faith's top and untangled her slightly visible bra-strap. The woman slid her warm fingers beneath the strap, making sure to let her touch linger a little longer than necessary.

"There," she murmured, awarding the taller brunette with a half-smile. "Don't want you going out looking disheveled." She stood a little taller on her tiptoes and pressed her pink lips fully against Faith's generous mouth.

"Don't get me worked up before I leave," Faith breathed against her lover's mouth.

The other woman slid her palms down Faith's front, still pretending to re-arrange her clothes. "Why not?" she asked with an innocent smile. "It'll make you come back sooner..."

_Suggested Listening: The xx – "Night Time"_

Faith plugged her iPod into the converter of her rental car. She flipped through her various digital albums, looking for something to calm her nerves. Finally settling on The xx, she pulled the car out of park and drove in the direction of the club where she was to meet up with Buffy and her friends.

The Boston-born slayer took a few settling deep breaths as she drove down the busy San Francisco streets. Part of the reason for wanting to bring along someone on her trip to the States had been to distract her from old emotions, better left buried. Perhaps she should have chosen a more appropriate traveling partner, however.

As the dark slayer neared her location, she cursed under her breath. Parking was impossible in this city. Plus, no one seemed to know how to park their mammoth SUVs properly. Oversized cars monopolized multiple spots. The Bostonian was surprised to find herself pining for the tiny tin cars in England that could squeeze into just about any parking slot. The night was destined to be a disaster if the past half an hour was any indication of how the rest of the evening was going to go.

After circling the club a few times in her search for a proper parking spot, Faith finally found a space large enough to squeeze her rental car into. She locked the car and made a mental note of her location, otherwise she'd never find her way back to her car at the end of the night.

As she made her way toward the foreign club, Faith silently wondered how she was going to meet up with Buffy if the blonde girl didn't have a cell phone. Luckily the Chosen One had the foresight to wait outside until the Bostonian arrived. Faith recognized the golden-locked woman as she walked closer to the club's front entrance.

Faith observed the other slayer as she made her way to the club building. Buffy tucked a lock of hair behind her right ear and glanced down at her wristwatch. Her hair was down and flat ironed, the length barely touching the tops of her shoulders. Instead of her routine cotton and pastels, tonight the blonde woman wore faded black jeans and a camisole beneath a fitted leather jacket.

"Hey," Faith said, nodding at the blonde in greeting.

Buffy's face lit up when she saw her sister-Slayer step close. "Hey yourself," she smiled, almost looking shy.

"Hope you weren't waiting too long," Faith started apologetically. "It took me a while to find a parking spot."

"No, no," Buffy said, shaking her head. "Your timing is perfect. We just got here."

"You look nice," the brunette observed. "I dig the look."

Buffy averted her eyes and self-consciously touched the lapel on her jacket. "Thanks."

"So…we just gonna hang out outside all night or actually go in?" Faith smirked.

Buffy seemed to visibly shake herself. "Yeah…sorry…inside. That's a good idea."

After showing her ID to the bouncer and paying the overpriced cover charge, Faith stepped into the dance club. She stopped just inside the entrance. "You guys come here often?" she asked in disbelief.

Buffy's blush went unnoticed in the minimal lighting of the industrial club. "Not really," she admitted. "I thought you might like it though. I asked around at work."

"It's, um…"

"We don't have to stay," Buffy said, quickly interrupting the brunette. "I just thought it was your style of music."

Faith smiled to herself as she looked around at the goth and punk patrons that littered the club. It was definitely reminiscent of the type of bar she would have frequented in the past. Since moving to England, however, quiet pubs were more her style. She felt strangely touched that Buffy had gone out of her way to make her feel welcomed though, and didn't mention that she was no longer the dark party-child the Chosen One had once known.

Buffy pointed to a set of stairs at the opposite side of the club. "I left Dawn and Xander at a booth upstairs," she noted. "Grab a seat up there, and I'll bring you a drink."

Faith was unable to mask her surprise at the blonde woman's behavior. "That's very, uh, gentle-womanly of you, B. But I can get my own drink, you know."

The Chosen One rolled her eyes. "Stop feeling guilty about the money crap, okay? I know you're rich now, but you're gonna hurt my feelings if I can't at least buy you a drink. Jack and diet, right?"

Faith nodded wordlessly.

Buffy's mouth widened into a brilliant smile. "Good. Now go sit down," she commanded.

Faith stood in place for a moment and watched as Buffy shuffled her way close to the crowded bar. She wiggled between a handful of the club's patrons, looking comically small in comparison to the tall, skinny goth boys hanging around the bar area. Faith smiled, realizing how much Buffy was going out of her comfort zone just to make herfeel more at ease. She made a mental promise to not revert to her former sarcastic ways tonight since Buffy was putting in so much effort.

After a moment more of observing the blonde slayer, Faith turned away and ascended the stairs that led up to the club's second floor. The din of the pulsing club wasn't as loud the higher she climbed. When she reached the top of the staircase, she peered around at the seated patrons, trying to recognize Buffy's sister and Xander. In a dark corner of the upper level, she could just make out the frenetic hand-waving of a gangly girl.

Faith waved a hand, acknowledging that she'd noticed Dawn and strode toward the seated couple.

"Nice to see you actually showed up," Dawn grinned as the dark slayer drew closer. "I heard you were a no-show last night."

"Hey now," Faith protested, taking a seat opposite the younger Summers girl. "I promised we'd hang out, and here I am."

"Well I'm feeling like the luckiest guy in the world," Xander chipped in. "Three girls to one guy…I like those odds," he joked.

"Speaking of which…where's Willow tonight?" Faith asked. She'd been surprised when Buffy had only mentioned her sister and Xander were at the club. She'd assumed Willow would have been with the friends as well.

A small frown fluttered onto Dawn's lips. "We asked her to come out with us, but she said she wasn't feeling up to it."

"How has she, uh, been dealing with the whole magic-doesn't-exist-anymore stuff?" Faith asked, genuinely concerned.

"She puts on a brave face, but I can tell it's been rough on her," Xander said. He stared at his hands on the table. "And without Kennedy, I worry that she's just holed up in her apartment by herself, slowly turning into a crazy cat lady."

"Oh no. There's cats involved?" Faith worried aloud. "It's even worse that I imagined."

Dawn nudged the Boston slayer under the table with the toe of her shoe. "Stop it," she chastised with a short laugh. "It's serious stuff."

"Just let me know when she starts hording animals," Faith noted. "I'll help with the intervention."

Faith noticed Dawn's gaze travel over her shoulder. "I knew all that waitressing would come in handy some day," the youngest Summers woman remarked.

Faith turned her head to find out what Dawn was talking about, and saw Buffy balancing a circular server's tray in one hand. She bent at the knees slightly and started to empty the tray onto the table. She set a bottle of beer in front of Xander, a girlie-looking concoction in front of her sister, and a dark well drink in front of Faith. For herself she had a clear soda-based drink. She emptied the tray with a round of dark colored shots.

"Damn, B," Faith chuckled, looking at the alcohol spread on their small table. "Very impressive."

Buffy shrugged out of her leather jacket and set it on the back of her chair. "I'm not without skills," she said with a smug smile. She slid into the open chair next to Faith.

"I hope you're not trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me, B," the dark-haired slayer teased.

Buffy's lips pursed together. "Shut it," she scowled. "Let's just drink."

Xander held up his shot glass in the air. "What should we toast to?"

The three women mirrored Xander and all raised their shot glasses as well.

"To Buffy getting laid," Dawn offered. "And hopefully not in my apartment." Faith could just make out an audible 'thump' as Buffy kicked her sister beneath the table. "Hey!" Dawn complained loudly. She reached under the table and rubbed at her shin.

"To old friends and new beginnings," Buffy said with a smile, pretending her sister hadn't said anything and that she hadn't kicked her.

"I'll drink to both of those," Faith said. She tossed back the fiery liquid and swallowed, enjoying the familiar burn in the back of her throat.

The rest of the table followed the Boston girl's lead and threw back their shots as well. Xander choked and Dawn thumped him on the back. "Jeebus," he wheezed, trying not to tear up. "What the hell was that?"

Buffy grinned mischievously. "Man up, Xander," she gloated, proud that she wasn't the one choking. "It'll put hair on your chest."

Dawn made a face and set her empty shot glass on the table. "Eww," she remarked. "If magic still existed, I might actually be scared. If beer has the power to turn my sister into a cavewoman, I'd hate to see what hard liquor could do."

A familiar song started playing over the club's sound system, pulling Faith's attention away from the familiar bantering of her long-time acquaintances. "Hell yeah!" she cheered approvingly. The Boston girl stood up from the table. "Let's go dance, you guys," she urged. "I love this song."

Xander held up his hands. "No offense, but this isn't exactly my kind of music."

Dawn smiled and patted her boyfriend's hand. "That's because the only dancing you do is in lines, sweetie."

The one-eyed man looked hurt. "The Macarena used to be cool, thank you very much."

"Used to, sweetie. Used to."

Faith turned her attention to the blonde slayer. "How about you, B? Wanna dance?"

Buffy shook her head. "I'll pass, thanks. I'm not drunk enough to actually have any rhythm."

The brunette shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Faith left the three friends behind and quickly made her way down the stairwell to the dance floor on the ground level. She maneuvered her way between dancing couples until she reached the center of the dance floor.

_(Suggested Listening: "Frozen" – Celldweller)_

Feeling the energy pulsing from the other dancers around her, Faith threw her hands in the air and started to bounce on the balls of her feet.

Faith closed her eyes and smiled. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been to an industrial club and had really let loose. When she lived in London, there certainly were clubs she could have gone to, but helping Angel rehabilitate had taken too much of her time and energy. Once they moved out to Giles' country estate, Angel's mental stability had improved. But although Faith had more time, there were no clubs in the remote part of England.

Opening her eyes, she grinned when she saw couples moving out of the way to make room for a small blonde sliding onto the crowded dance floor.

"What made you change your mind?" Faith asked, leaning close so the other slayer could hear her. "Was it my killer dance moves?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Not quite. I was feeling like the third-wheel up there. I can't believe you left me alone with those two," she complained, making a face.

Faith laughed. "It can't be that bad," she insisted over the crunching music. "I mean, you_ do_ live with them. Aren't you used to them being together by now?"

Buffy shook her head. "Never," she said. "Never ever ever."

"Enough talking about those two," Faith ordered, feeling bold enough to put her hands on Buffy's hips. "Less talking. More dancing."

The blonde slayer flashed the other woman a wide smile. "Agreed."

The two slayers began to move together in time with the dark, driving song. Buffy rocked back and forth, her eyes slightly closed. Faith kept her hands locked on the smaller slayer's hips, simultaneously surprised and anxious that the Chosen One hadn't yet evaded her grip.

Buffy grabbed onto the dark slayer's wrists. But instead of removing Faith's hands from her hips, however, she pulled on the Boston woman's arms until Faith's arms circled her waist. The blonde smiled shyly at the taller woman as she made Faith's hands clasp behind her back.

The two women continued to dance, impossibly closer. Faith inhaled sharply through her nose when Buffy's pelvic bone unintentionally bumped into her. She'd always thought of the small blonde as a Personal-Bubble kind of girl; as they danced together, however, neither woman was afforded any personal space.

Faith nearly swallowed her tongue when Buffy turned around. Although her tank top looked unassuming from the front, showing a modest amount of cleavage, the back was open, save a few straps that traveled horizontally across her back. Buffy's tan, flawless skin seemed to taunt the younger slayer.

Buffy's arms snaked up and she wove her arms in the air. Faith admired the blonde's bare back. As the Chosen One danced with her arms above her head, her lean muscles moved beneath her flesh. With her arms still circling the blonde's waist, Faith pulled Buffy back into her so the elder slayer's backside rubbed against her front as they danced. The dark-haired woman bit her bottom lip.

"Is this okay?" she asked, leaning into the elder woman.

Still dancing, Buffy swiveled her head to look at the other slayer. "I'm still here, aren't I?" the Californian challenged.

Faith smirked at Buffy's cocky response. She wasn't sure if the alcohol had hit Buffy hard or if she was just feeling particularly daring that evening. She tested the waters, and slid her hands down the front of Buffy's thighs. Through the dark denim, she could feel the strength of the blonde woman's legs as her muscles tensed and flexed while they danced.

Buffy grabbed onto Faith's wandering hands as her fingertips flirted with her inner thighs. "I'm not _that _drunk," she said sharply.

Faith laughed and lifted her hands from the smoldering blonde. She held her hands up as if retreating.

Buffy turned to face the brunette woman again and stuck her bottom lip out. "I didn't say you had to stop dancing," she pouted.

The Boston-born slayer leaned in. "Anyone ever tell you that you're a little difficult, Blondie?" she voiced over the music.

The Chosen One smiled. "Only every day."

Faith shook her head and chuckled. She started dancing again and this time spun so that her backside was now rubbing into the blonde's front. She was mildly surprised when she felt Buffy's warm hands slip over her hipbones, but she didn't miss a beat.

Faith closed her eyes and tried to shut out everything except for the feeling of Buffy's hands on her and the punishing music that enveloped her. She tried to forget about the troubled vampire who waited for her return to England. She tried to forget that Buffy had only invited her to San Francisco because she thought Faith could help her defeat Simone. She tried to forget that she and Buffy had never been this close before.

"Your ass is vibrating," Buffy breathed into the brunette's ear. Her breath was hot against Faith's skin.

Lost to the feeling of the elder slayer's hands on her, it took Faith a moment to register that Buffy was speaking to her. "Huh?"

Buffy stopped dancing and deftly fished a cell phone out of the back pocket of Faith's leather pants. "It's your phone," she stated, matter-of-factly.

Faith took the phone from the golden-haired girl and stared at the blinking screen. She didn't recognize the number, but it was a California area code.

"I'll be right back," Faith excused herself. "Just gotta take this."

Faith walked off the dance floor and climbed up a few stairs toward the second level until the music volume had faded enough. "Hello?"

"Are you coming back any time soon? I miss you." Faith nearly dropped her phone when she recognized the voice. The other woman's tone wasn't accusatory or nagging, however, just curious.

"Uh, y-yeah," Faith stammered into her cell phone. "I'm leaving right now."

"Will you pick up some microwave popcorn on your way back?" the all-too-familiar voice asked, full of girlish charm. "If you're not too tired, I'm thinking tonight should be a movie night."

Faith flicked her eyes quickly at Buffy who patiently waited for the other girl to get off the phone. She wasn't sure if Buffy would be able to hear her over the dim of the club, or could read her lips, but she didn't want to take any chances. "Sure thing. On my way," the brunette responded with deliberate vagueness.

Faith hung up the phone and walked back to the elder slayer who waited at the edge of the dance floor. Buffy quirked an eyebrow at the girl. "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Faith stated, shoving her phone into her back pocket. "I just forgot I've got someplace to be."

Buffy's face revealed her surprise. "You double-booked?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Faith apologized. "Tell the gang goodnight for me, will ya?"

The Californian looked taken aback at Faith's abrupt departure. "Wow. You're really leaving," she stated as if she hadn't originally believed the other slayer. "Where's the fire?"

Faith made a disgruntled noise. "It doesn't concern you, B. We probably shouldn't be out partying anyway when there's a price on your head, don't you think?"

Buffy's face revealed her confusion. The Boston woman's mood swings were hard to keep up with. "Are we having our falling out now? Is this the big fight?" she asked with genuine concern. "Did I not get the memo?"

"No." Faith shook her head and grimaced. "This is just us not getting along like usual."

The blonde's face crumpled. She felt hurt that Faith would bail on her when she was just starting to relax around the other woman. She crossed her arms across her chest and frowned. "I suppose it was just a matter of time before we fell into our old routines," she shot back, not wanting to show how much the brunette's words had stung.

"What can I say, B?" Faith noted with a cavalier shrug. "You and I, two slayers at the same time, we weren't supposed to happen. That's why we can't co-exist."

Buffy grabbed the other girl's wrist before she could storm off. The touch felt like a million tiny lightning bolts shooting through Faith's arm.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" The Chosen One's hazel-green eyes bore into the dark slayer.

Faith stared for a moment at Buffy's hand on her arm.

"Sure, B."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

The red-headed woman closed her book when she heard the ding of her microwave in the adjacent room. She stood from her couch and wandered the few steps back to her small kitchen. She opened the microwave door and sighed when she realized her frozen dinner had exploded.

She grabbed a kitchen towel and pulled the plastic container out of the microwave. Some mixed vegetables and most of her chicken remained in their tiny compartmentalized areas, but the apple crisp was now scattered across the insides of her microwave. Just a few short months ago, she could have waved her hand and the mess would have been instantaneously cleaned up. Now, however, she couldn't harness enough magic to even levitate a pencil.

Willow pulled a ceramic plate out of a cabinet and dumped the contents of her tv dinner onto the dish. She might have been preparing microwaved food, but eating off a real plate made her feel somewhat human.

With a small plate of hot food in one hand and a glass of water in the other, Willow returned to her living room. She knew she should eat at the dining room table, but sitting by herself at the table only made her painfully aware of how alone she was. And these days the company of a television set was becoming unsettlingly a large comfort.

She knew it was her own fault. She could have been hanging out with her friends that evening, but instead she had chosen to wallow in her own sadness. Kennedy was gone. And even if Willow wanted to contact her to apologize, she had no idea where the dark-haired woman had taken off to.

Sometimes she could still see the pain in Kennedy's dark eyes after she'd told the slayer that it wasn't working out. Kennedy wasn't the kind of girl to cry, not openly at least, so when Willow saw the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, it had only added to her guilt.

She'd manufactured excuse after excuse why they couldn't be together just a few weeks after they'd all relocated to San Francisco. They were lies – although her relationship with Kennedy couldn't compare to what she'd experienced with Tara, they complimented one another in a different way and were still solid together. But Willow was afraid of more pain, and more betrayal.

She recognized now that it had been impulsive of her – breaking up with Kennedy so soon after the seed of wonder had been destroyed. She'd been broken after that epic, final battle against Twilight in more than one way. A broken arm from a massive fall, and shattered confidence. Without magic, she felt like a phony. Without magic, how could she ever hope to keep a slayer as a girlfriend?

Willow sat down on the living room couch she had picked out with Kennedy and turned on the television. Trash TV had sadly become that of the norm for the lonely redhead. Out of routine, she checked her cell phone for missed messages in case someone had tried to contact her while she'd been in the kitchen battling with the microwave. She saw that Xander had texted her once again to invite her to come out with them that evening. As much as she loved her friends, it was too painful to be around Buffy.

Although she knew the Chosen One had destroyed the seed – the heart of all magics – in order to save the world, she still couldn't help but feel betrayed by one of her best friends. Buffy and the rest of the slayers had retained their powers, but she and other Wiccas were completely powerless. Now she was no more helpful to their group than Xander or Dawn.

For the first time in longer than she liked to remember, she felt weak and unimportant. She was little more than that painfully awkward girl in high school.

Willow turned down the television volume when she thought she heard a noise. She paused, still holding the remote control, and listened. Someone was knocking on her front door.

Leaving her sorry excuse for a dinner behind, Willow went to her apartment door. She wasn't overly friendly with her neighbors, so she didn't expect it to be one of them. She assumed it would be Buffy, Dawn, or Xander trying to cajole her into spending time with them tonight.

Not bothering to check the peephole first, Willow unlocked her front door and pulled it open.

She audibly gasped when she recognized the woman standing in her hallway.

Simone.

The woman with the pink mohawk leered at the former Wicca. "Hey darling," she drawled.

Her hand rose from its position at her side, and Willow's eyes widened when she saw the large, gleaming, silver gun pointed at her face.

Simone disengaged the safety; the clicking noise echoed in Willow's ears.

"Let's have a little chat," the rogue slayer said, her eyes narrowing.

"How was your night?"

The Boston woman shrugged and started to unlace her boots. "It was fine." She tossed a small box of microwave popcorn onto the bed beside her girlfriend. "I got you your munchies."

After saying goodbye to Buffy at the club, Faith had stopped to buy her partner the popcorn she's requested and then returned back to the motel room. She felt mentally tired and physically sticky from stale sweat, and Buffy was to blame for both.

"Why the moody slayer routine?" The blonde girl frowned. "Did you want to stay out later with your friends?"

"They're not my friends," Faith said gruffly.

"Come here." The British woman patted the spot next to her.

"Gladly." Faith sighed deeply. She pulled off her socks and dragged herself into bed. She tucked her long legs to her chest and curled into a ball in the space where the blonde girl had created a spot for her.

"If your night wasn't that great… I guess I'll have to work extra hard to make the rest of the night better," her girlfriend soothed.

"How come?" Faith complained, her voice sounding worn and tired. "Can't we just let this night end?"

The British woman stroked Faith's dark locks. Her fingers slid easily through the soft strands. She bent over to whisper in her girlfriend's ear. "Because I'm your friend," she appeased, "and the last thing I want is to see you going to bed so upset."

Faith smiled weakly and looked up at the other girl from beneath heavy eyelashes. "Do I have to stay moody to get this special treatment?"

"No," the other girl remarked, her lips lifting into a half-smile. "You can be happy, and I'll still take care of you."

Faith sighed again, this time with contentment. "Sounds like a plan then." She reached up and kissed the attractive blonde lightly on the lips. The British blonde smiled against her partner's mouth.

Faith ended the soft kiss and rolled out of bed.

"Is it all just an act with you, Lehane?" her partner inquired.

"No…never."

"Uh huh," the blonde smirked knowingly. She stared curiously after her girlfriend. "Where are you going?"

"I'm losing the layers so that I can get comfy with ya," Faith informed the other woman. "Unless you want to snuggle up with cowhide?"

"Ick. No thanks," the Brit remarked, making a face. "I like my girl in leather, but not like that."

Remembering her midnight snack, she opened the box of popcorn and pulled out a single package while Faith inspected her duffle bag and searched for something to sleep in.

A knock at the front door alerted the two women.

The British girl jumped up from the bed to answer, but Faith stopped her.

"I'll get it," the Boston slayer said. "Why don't you start on that popcorn?" she suggested.

Faith crossed the room and looked out the peephole in the door. "Shit," she cursed when she recognized the distorted features of the Chosen One standing outside her motel room.

"Who is it?" her girlfriend asked.

Faith turned to look at the blonde hovering near the microwave. "Don't worry about it, babe. Find us a decent movie on pay-per-view and make that popcorn, okay?" she lightly instructed the girl. "I'll be right back."

The Boston slayer grabbed her key off the dresser and slipped it into her back pocket. Not bothering to put on socks or shoes she opened the front door just wide enough to slide her figure through the opening. She closed the door behind her.

Outside the run-down airport motel stood Buffy, still in her clothes from the club. Faith recognized Xander's car parked just behind her. The compact car's engine was still running and the Boston woman assumed Xander and Dawn were in the car. But with the parking lot's lighting glaring off the front windshield, she couldn't make out any bodies in the car.

Buffy took a step backwards, affording the Boston woman some space. Once again she was struck by the oddity that Faith hadn't invited her inside.

"Kinda the last person I expected to see tonight," Faith observed. "Did you miss me already?"

Buffy chewed on her bottom lip. "Why'd you bail so fast?" she asked. "I...I thought we were having a good time."

Faith grimaced. "We were. We _are_. It wasn't that," she promised the other girl. "I just had to go."

"But why?" Buffy demanded.

"Why is this so important to you?" Faith deflected.

"Because I know you lied. I don't believe that you suddenly had to leave because you had other plans," Buffy stubbornly insisted. "I followed you from the club," she said matter-of-factly. "You stopped at a 7-11 store and then you came straight back to your motel room."

"Geez, Princess. Stalker much?" the brunette woman complained. Her stomach knotted up. She'd never imagined the elder slayer would follow her to check on her story.

"We're up against something big here with Simone," Buffy reminded the younger slayer. "If we can't trust each other then she's not going to be our biggest obstacle."

"I trust you," Faith stated.

"Why did you lie to me?" Buffy implored. "Why did you leave tonight?"

Faith sighed. "Fine," she gave in, looking frustrated. "I just…I'm not totally comfortable around you guys, that's all," she tried to explain. "Things are cool right now between us, but I don't want to overstay my welcome. I figured if I stuck around the club for too long tonight, I'd screw something up."

"But we were totally getting along," Buffy pointed out, her voice rising slightly.

"I know. And I'd like to keep it that way." Faith's lips formed a small frown. "Listen, B. I know how you all feel about me. And with…" she swallowed hard, praying she wouldn't get choked up. "…with Giles leaving me all his money and you gettin' squat, it didn't exactly make things any easier between us."

"I don't care about the money, Faith," Buffy insisted.

"You might not, but it makes me feel like shit."

Buffy laughed. "Will it make you feel better if I let you buy your own drinks from now on?"

Faith scowled. "Maybe."

"Fine, I'll even let you buy a few of my drinks."

The younger slayer couldn't help but to let a weak laugh escape her lips "You read my mind."

"Then it's a deal, crab-apple. Now was that so hard?" Buffy smiled, privately proud of herself for getting the Bostonian to open up.

Faith blinked once, a sudden thought clicking in her brain. "Wait. You followed me when I left the club," she stated, thinking aloud. "I got back here like 20 minutes ago. What the hell have you been doing?"

Buffy cleared her throat noisily and looked down at the ground. "I've been, um, pacing," she mumbled.

"Jesus," the brunette exclaimed. "Out here?"

"Yea, well here and the parking lot," Buffy revealed.

"It's fucking cold out, and it's not the safest neighborhood, B," Faith verbally chided.

"Glad to know you care," Buffy snorted.

Faith looked at the blonde slayer standing before her. "Of course I care… and I always will."

Buffy's sarcasm faded away at the brunette girl's genuine words. Her features softened and a small smile crept onto her lips.

In the distance, they heard an electric window sliding down. "Buffy!" Dawn complained from the driver's side of Xander's car. "If you two are done holding hands, we've got to get going. I have school in the morning," she reminded her sister, "and Xander has work."

"Just a second, Dawnie," Buffy called. She turned back to the brunette slayer. "I can't wait to get a place of my own, she grumbled to the younger woman. "You have no idea how disgusting it is living with those two."

Faith chuckled at Buffy's reaction. "Messy roommates?"

"No," Buffy made a face. "All the noisy sex."

"Wow. Way too much information, B," Faith said, nearly choking on her own tongue. "What is with you Summers women and the over-sharing?"

"Sorry," the blonde mumbled.

"Buffy! Come on!" Dawn whined again, nearly hanging out the driver's side window.

"I _said_, just a minute!" the Chosen One yelled back shrilly. She turned again to the brunette. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" she asked, her tone becoming civil once again. "All the booze tonight went right through me."

"Uh…can't you just wait until you get home?" Faith said, looking suddenly anxious. "Dawn seems pretty impatient."

"No. It's like a half an hour drive," Buffy noted. "Don't make me pee in the streets, Faith," she pled.

Faith looked like a deer in headlights as she wrestled with Buffy's request. "Uh. S-sure," she finally stammered. "Just give me a second."

The brunette disappeared back into the motel room, nearly closing the door on Buffy's face. Buffy frowned, perplexed by the other slayer's behavior. After another tense minute without Faith reemerging, the Chosen One knocked on the motel door again.

"Faith?" she called through the closed door.

The door immediately swung opened again, just barely ajar and Faith's face appeared in the slight opening.

"I still need to use your bathroom?" the blonde reminded her sister-Slayer.

Faith's features looked slightly flushed and sweaty. "Yeah. Sorry," she apologized. "Just another second," she said again. Her face disappeared, but she kept the door slightly open instead of shutting it again.

Through the crack in the door, the blonde could hear low voices and the sound of scuffling as though the Boston slayer was talking to herself.

Buffy turned when she heard Xander's car turn off and the slamming of doors. Dawn jogged up to her sister's side, followed by her boyfriend. "I thought you said this was going to be a quick stop," the brunette complained.

"I thought it was going to be," Buffy said as an apology. "I just want to use her bathroom, but she's acting really weird." The blonde turned again toward the motel. "Faith," she called out from outside. "What's taking so long?"

"I'm just picking up a little. Hold on, the place is a mess," Faith's voice loudly responded. "I wasn't exactly expectin' company."

"When is your place not a mess?" Buffy mumbled to herself.

"Come on, Buffy," Dawn pressured her older sister again. "It's really getting late."

"I'm not going to pee on the side of the road halfway between here and the apartment," Buffy protested.

"I think I've got an empty Gatorade bottle in the backseat," Xander offered unhelpfully.

"Gross, Xander," Buffy gagged. She made a disgruntled noise. "What is she _doing _in there?"

The blonde, ignoring Faith's neurotic housekeeping, finally pushed open the slightly ajar door.

"That's ridiculous... why can't I just change?" the Chosen One heard whispered as she pushed open the motel door. Buffy stiffened. The voice was eerily familiar.

"They don't know you're here," she heard Faith reply in a low tone. "…that I'm with someone."

When she'd pushed the door fully open, Buffy gasped at what she saw.

Faith stood in the center of the small room with her hand grasped around a woman's wrist.

Buffy's wrist.

The woman standing beside Faith didn't just _look _like Buffy, she _was _Buffy.

"Holy shit," Dawn exclaimed when she looked over her sister's shoulder and saw the doppelganger.

Faith's dark eyes widened when she saw Buffy, Dawn, and Xander standing in the threshold. She dropped her hold on the blonde woman's wrist. "I-I can explain," she stumbled over her words.

Buffy's mirror-image smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "This oughta be good."

Xander cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Déjà vu anyone?"

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

**++++ Flashback +++++**

_London, England_

Faith laughed as she watched her friend Jerry balancing on a stone ledge that ran the length of a small footbridge. The tall, gangly man had a penchant for unnecessary danger, which was probably why the Boston slayer enjoyed his company. The three friends had spent the evening doing an impromptu bar crawl in their neighborhood. With each new drink, Jerry became increasingly reckless.

"Careful, you wanker," called out their other friend, Sebastian, the voice of reason in their small group. "Fall in the drink and you'll ruin Faith's birthday celebration."

Faith laughed. "Actually, Jerry swimming with the three-eyed fish in this nasty river might be the birthday present I've always wanted."

Jerry looked at his watch and then jumped down from the stone wall. "Speaking of which," he stated with a toothy grin, "it's almost time for your birthday present, Faithy."

"How many times have I told you not to call me that, Jer?" Faiths scowled. "It makes me sound like I'm eight-years-old. And I don't need any presents, you guys." She frowned, showing her discomfort. "You know how I feel about that kinda stuff."

"Yeah, we know. Faith is anti-birthdays, anti-fun," Sebastian teased with a dimpled smile. "But I have a feeling you're _really _going to like this surprise. Who knows, it might be so good that it changes your life."

"Ha, I'd be surprised if your present would impact my life for more than just – how long does a good hangover generally last again?" Faith grinned. "It's been awhile, so let's say a day."

"Hey, we put a lot of thought into it," Jerry eagerly added, his dark blue eyes sparkling mischievously. "Don't ruin all our fun, Lehane."

"What do ya say?" Sebastian pled. His handsome features looked boyish as he begged Faith's acquiescence. "We're just a few blocks away."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Fine," she reluctantly relented. "Where are we off to now?"

The two men grinned and elbowed each other. "Strip club!" they cheered in unison.

Faith fingered the tiny red straw in her Jack and diet. She casually looked around the ground level of the club that her two friends had dragged her to. The place was dark, just a few spotlights illuminating the space.

At the center of the strip-joint was a large, elevated stage with three dancer poles. Two minimally-clothed women currently occupied the stage, spinning and twirling around their respective poles in a choreographed strip-tease. Men in dress shirts and loosened ties surrounded the base of the stage area and fed tips into g-strings and thongs.

Surrounding the main stage area were small circular tables large enough for only two or three patrons. Cocktail waitresses in white tank tops and tight black boi shorts navigated the floor, serving drinks and connecting dancers to eager patrons. There were a few other women in the gentlemen's club, but unlike Faith, they appeared to be appeasing the whims of a significant other rather than genuinely enjoying the scenery.

The club turned out to be close to her London flat. Faith was surprised she had never noticed the business before, but with its nondescript building and lack of signage, it was the kind of place one could easily overlook.

"How come you guys knew about this place when I've never even noticed it?" Faith asked her two friends over the din of the club. For a Thursday night, the business was remarkably busy.

The two men exchanged a mischievous grin. "Let's just say it's a very private club, available only to a privileged clientele," Sebastian informed the slayer with a secret smile.

Faith didn't reply, only frowned. In her experience "privileged" usually meant "rich" or "supernatural." She frowned harder, realizing that she now fit in both of those categories.

The Bostonian suddenly stood up from the table and Jerry rose along with her. "Where are you going?" he asked anxiously.

Faith gave the man an odd look. "To the can," she laughed, eyeballing her friend. "Is that okay with you or do you need to use the lady's room too?"

"No, I don't," the British man pouted. "Just hurry back," he implored of the birthday girl.

The brunette slayer left the tableside and made her way back to the bathrooms. A burly bouncer stood outside the restroom doors, making sure that no men wandered into the female powder room. Faith nodded a greeting to the man whose face revealed nothing but displeasure.

Faith took a moment to peak under the other two tall doors to ascertain if she was alone when she entered the women's room. Finding herself alone in the bathroom, she stood in front of the mirrored vanity sinks. The lights were at a normal level and it felt refreshing to not be lurking in the dark of the club anymore. She turned on the twin faucets and washed her hands beneath the rushing water. As she scrubbed her hands clean, she looked at her reflection in the restroom mirror and checked the status of her make-up.

She hadn't really needed to use the bathroom, she just needed a little break from her two friends. She valued her friendship with Sebastian and Jerry, two men she'd saved while on patrol a few months ago. The two life-long friends had gotten kicked out of a local pub for trying to start a fight after an evening full of too much liquor. Faith had stumbled across the pair just as a Frovalax demon was about to attack them. They knew what she did and who she was at night, but beyond that, Faith shared little about her past with the men she sometimes grabbed a beer with.

Faith turned off the water and dried her hands before once again exiting out of the bathroom. She decided that she wouldn't stay out too much longer – just long enough to satisfy her friends who only wanted to make sure she had a good birthday.

Lost in her own thoughts and her eyes having not re-adjusted to the strip club's dim lighting, Faith failed to avoid a broad-shouldered man who bumped into her on his way back to the bathrooms. The Boston girl stumbled slightly and the toe of her boot caught on the leg of a chair, sending her falling forward.

The slayer would have fallen to the ground if not for the quick instincts of a woman standing near her. Faith felt strong hands catch her by the shoulders.

"Careful there," the other woman murmured, helping Faith back to her feet. "Wouldn't want to mar that beautiful face with a fall."

Faith looked up into the face of the woman who'd stopped her stumble. She was surprised to see it was one of the club's dancers, or at least assumed she was a stripper by her outfit. The dancer wore a simple outfit of black halter and black leather micro shorts that looked sexy, but not overly trashy on her thin, athletic frame. With her platform shoes, she was a few inches taller than the dark-haired slayer, but flatfooted they were probably about the same height and build. The nameless woman was in her mid-twenties with straight brown hair with blonde highlights that framed her delicate facial features.

Faith looked into the woman's startlingly green eyes. Contacts, she immediately assumed.

"Thanks," the Boston-born slayer said, regaining her balance. She barely registered that the club employee continued to lightly hold onto her wrist.

"Any time," the taller dancer purred. She flashed the Bostonian a warm smile. "However, if I have to keep on saving you, you might just have to buy me dinner." The forwardness of the stranger succeeded at luring a laugh from Faith.

"I swear I'm normally not so awkward," Faith explained with an easy grin. "I must be drunker than I thought," she laughed.

"Even if you're drunk, are you at least enjoying yourself tonight?"

"I believe so," Faith answered with honestly.

"Care for a private dance?" the club dancer proposed with slight hesitation behind her voice. Her fingers felt warm and dry on Faith's wrist.

Faith eased her hand out from the taller brunette's grasp. "As much as I'd love to take you up on that offer, my friends are waiting." She nodded towards where Jerry and Sebastian sat. "Thanks for the catch though." She excused herself and started to walk back in the direction of her friends.

The woman smiled after the slayer's retreating figure. "No, thank _you_," she said to herself.

Upon returning to the table she shared with her two friends, Faith sat down heavily in her chair. "So where's this _surprise_, you guys?" she sighed.

"Just a little bit longer," Jerry promised. His knee bounced under the table, a nervous tick Faith had picked up on in their short time of knowing each other.

"I'm gonna bail if you don't fess up soon, boys," Faith warned.

"C'mon, Faith. Don't be a party-pooper," Sebastian protested. "The girls here are hot, and Jer and I will make sure your glass isn't empty all night. Stick around a little longer," he urged.

Faith looked toward the club's exit. She shouldn't be drinking anymore – she was already drunker than she'd been all year. They were within walking distance of Giles' flat, but she never liked to be so intoxicated she wouldn't be able to protect herself and her friends.

Plus, she didn't like leaving Angel on his own for too long. She hadn't even planned on going out for her birthday because of that, but the souled vampire had begged her to have one night of fun. The laughs and carefree nights had been few since they'd left Sunnydale for London.

"We bought you a lap dance," Jerry revealed in a rush. "So you can't leave yet."

Sebastian scowled at his friend. "Way to keep a secret, Jerry," he complained. Sebastian looked back over at the impatient slayer. "This girl, she's, uh…in high demand," he explained, "so we had to reserve her ahead of time."

"I appreciate it guys, I do. But I think I should just head back." Faith reached for her leather jacket, which hung on the back of an empty chair, and stood up. Both Sebastian and Jerry groaned, and continued trying to convince the girl to stay, but Faith ignored their pleas.

"Go ahead and have my dance for me," she said, slipping into her coat. "I'll call you guys later and we'll hang out soon."

"But, Faith," Jerry whined. "We went to a lot of trouble to request this dancer for you," he complained.

"Stop it, Jerry," Sebastian commanded his friend. "Now you're just sounding desperate. Faith doesn't have to stay if she doesn't want to."

"This dance cost an arm and I'm not just talking pounds. Only the birthday girl is deserving of it. Surely I'm not willing to let it be wasted on Sebastian."

"If you feel that way," Sebastian growled, "why don't you take it then, mate?"

"Hah," Jerry deadpanned. "And die a gruesome death once the old bird at home finds out? No, thank you. Even if I could, I'm man enough to admit that I wouldn't be able to handle a dance from_ her_."

Sebastian and Jerry's voices seemed to blur together, along with the heavily thrumming music blasting out the club's sound system, when Faith spotted a flash of unmistakable blonde hair on the other side of the bar. A feeling of dread and anxiety curdled in the pit of Faith's stomach as she watched a very familiar, slight frame cross her line of sight.

"No way…." she mumbled to herself.

Faith's gaze followed the flash of blonde hair as the barely-clad woman maneuvered across the room. When the woman in question paused to talk to a male patron, Faith was afforded a better view of her features. She felt her heartbeat quicken inside her chest. The familiar-faced girl laughed at something the man said and put her hand on his arm.

Forgetting her two friends, Faith left the tableside and strode in the direction of the blonde girl. She wove her away around dancers, cocktail waitresses, and ogling men. Every time she thought she was getting closer to the blonde girl, however, she discovered the other woman had changed locations again.

Faith started to get annoyed, but she wasn't about to give up so easily. She needed to see this woman – to make sure it was real and not just a hallucination. Because why in the hell would _Buffy Summers_ be at a strip club, let alone one in London?

The brunette slayer caught a final flash of that unforgettable blonde hair as the woman disappeared behind a velvet curtain. Faith walked up to the curtain that acted like a wall between the main part of the club and the unknown. She hadn't even realized that the far wall of the club wasn't solid. The Boston woman hesitated. She reached her hand out and touched the plush material as if needing to make sure it was real.

"Suck it up, Lehane," she muttered. "It's not her, so why are you freaking out? There's _no way_ it's her," she reiterated to give herself more courage.

Finally, sucking in a deep breath, she pushed the curtain to the side and walked in.

_Suggested Listening: "Insect" - Die Warzau_

The heavy velvet of the plush material fell back in place behind her, forming a wall once again that separated her from her friends and the rest of the club. Faith found herself in a smaller, darker room. The room was lit only with the aid of small LED lights on the separating walls that gave the room a starry-night feel. A dim pulse of light spilled over the curtain wall from the main part of the club. She let her eyes adjust to the room's dim lighting. With her Slayer abilities, she was able to do so faster than the average human.

Only a wooden chair with a red cushion seat and a platform with a pole coming out of the center decorated the room. Faith looked for the blonde, the woman she feared might actually be Buffy. But the room appeared empty beside herself.

Faith looked in the direction of the small stage when she saw movement. Another false curtain wall was located behind the pole area. A small hand appeared at the side of the plush material and the curtain parted to reveal a woman's silhouette.

The woman took a few steps closer to the brunette. Her hair was blonde, straight, and fell just below her chin. Her hazel-green eyes flickered in the LED lit room like candlelight. She wore a black leather halter top with matching micro shorts that looked like a second skin, and her height was exaggerated with the help of 4 inch spiked stilettos. Faith's heartbeat quickened in her chest.

"B?"

The attractive blonde's lips pursed. The corner of her mouth slightly curled up into a knowing smile. "Is that her name?"

Faith remained standing, as if frozen in her place. "I don't understand."

The other woman took a bold step closer. Faith's eyes immediately went to the thinly muscled legs and the delicate curve of defined calf. "Your friends bought you a dance, didn't they?"

Faith nodded, dumbfounded.

Buffy's face twisted into a smug, knowing grin. "Don't worry – I'm not _really_ her. It's just my gift…to look like the one person you want the most. It freaks some of my clients out when I show up looking like the woman of their dreams," she lightly laughed.

Faith's eyes involuntarily flitted towards the velvet curtain through which she'd just come, looking for the closest exit.

"You shouldn't leave," the blonde woman stated as if reading the Bostonian's thoughts. "Your friends paid top dollar to reserve me."

The woman wearing Buffy's features stepped closer.

The face. The body. The scent. The voice. Everything about this half-naked woman standing before Faith, standing so dangerously close, was Buffy. The brunette felt the urge to bolt. The situation was too fucked up, even for her.

With amazing quickness, the blonde woman lightly caught Faith's wrist. Her hazel-green eyes bore into the Boston slayer.

"Stay."

Faith felt her breath catch in the back of her throat. Without even knowing her, this woman, whoever she was, had managed to capture her greatest fantasy. Not the part about being in front of a half-naked Buffy...although that _was _part of her dreams more frequently than Faith would like to admit to herself.

The actual fantasy was less NC-17. Buffy asking her to stay. Not wanting her to leave.

Despite her misgivings, the raven-haired slayer silently nodded and allowed the half-naked woman to draw her nearer to the single chair in the room.

The blonde woman straddled Faith's lap, not resting her entire weight on the brunette slayer's thighs.

"Have you done this before?" the nameless, but familiar-faced stripper asked the other woman. She pushed the black leather jacket off of Faith's shoulders.

"Gotten a lap dance?" Faith questioned, surprised at her ability to form words.

The woman wordlessly nodded. She reached behind her back and unfastened the one hook that kept her barely-there top covering her breasts. As she unhooked the clasp, the material fell away, revealing her naked torso. Her breasts sat high on her chest, tanned with no sunbathing lines.

Faith's jaw dropped. The woman even had the same _freckles_ as the Chosen One. The copy was masterful like the most talented forgery. It was a work of art that the mesmerized slayer found herself curious to explore.

Surprising the Bostonian, the half-naked dancer grabbed her hands and placed them on her breasts. Faith released a strangled noise. It was arduous to not act upon the suppleness of the skin beneath her grasp.

Buffy's face smiled down at her. "I know it's against the rules," she noted, "but I wanted you to feel how real I am."

The stripper licked her lips and stared down at the bewildered woman between her taunt thighs. Most of her clients sought her out specifically because of her unique talent. Others, like Faith, were recipients of a surprise present. Part of the fun with those patrons was seeing their confusion. This girl, however, seemed more dumbfounded and tormented than anyone else.

"You can let go now," she said quietly.

Faith's hands immediately dropped back to her sides. "S-sorry," she stumbled. She felt like she could still feel the slight heft of the attractive blonde's naked breasts in her palms.

Buffy's features scrunched into a familiar half-smile that made the Bostonian's stomach flip-flop. "Don't be, it's okay. I enjoy the feeling of your hands on me," she softly reassured the other woman. "I just don't want you to get in trouble since touching isn't really allowed."

Her half-smile turned into a full-wattage, mischievous grin. "I take that back. _You _can't touch me, but _I_ get to touch you all I want..,unless you wouldn't like that…"

The seat bound patron could only manage to shake her head in response.

The woman ran her smooth palms down Faith's arms and leaned forward as if to kiss her neck. Her warm breath tickled the brunette's neck, her hair, and sent a chill down her spine. Faith tensed her legs beneath the attractive blonde and clenched her fists at her sides. The other woman had barely touched her, and she was already losing herself to the multiple and conflicting physical and emotional strain.

The dancer stood up and Faith immediately missed the heat of her body and the scent of her skin. The woman wearing Buffy's face and body started to sway on her stiletto heels in time with the gritty industrial music thrumming through the P.A. system. Her hands ran along her taunt abdomen and moved up to cup her breasts. Her hazel-eyes closed as her fingers wrapped around her pert chest and she subtly squeezed her own flesh.

Faith swallowed hard, feeling simultaneously tortured and blessed to watch the show. Her eyes widened when she realized the woman was coming back to sit on her lap. The other woman's shin glided over her upper thigh and she settled once again on top of Faith.

"Miss me?" Buffy's voice tauntingly asked.

The Boston girl could only grit her back teeth and clasp her hands against the bottom of her chair. Her nails dug deep into the bottom side of the material sat beneath her. Over the years she'd witnessed too many of her friends getting kicked out of strip clubs for getting carried away and touching the girls. Even though it was killing her not to touch the soft, but firm flesh currently grinding on her lap, there was no way she was willing to potentially cut this 'dance' short because she hadn't had enough willpower.

The girl leaned in and brushed her soft lips against Faith's cheek and against the top of her ear. She quietly moaned and groaned into the Bostonian's ear and she worked her hips on Faith's lap.

The stripper's fingers snaked under Faith's shirt and tickled along her flat abdomen. It wasn't so much a lap dance anymore – more like pre-paid groping.

"Why does your body feel so good to me?" the woman wearing Buffy's features wondered aloud.

The nearly-naked woman ran her fingers through Faith's long waves. She dragged her short, polished nails into the brunette's scalp, pulling a quiet groan from her patron.

The woman swept Faith's loose hair away from her neck to suckle on her sensitive skin. She bit down gently, but firm enough to cause Faith's head to tilt backwards. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened as she sucked in a sharp breath. The hands of the blonde wandered the slayer's stiffened body as she continued to occupy her neck. Even through thick denim, the raven-haired woman could feel the nails of her private company scrape their way across the inner part of her thighs. The feeling sent a chill down her spine and promptly warmed her core.

Faith felt the other woman's fingertips slither to the outside of her legs and push their way to rest on her waist; it was there that they lingered teasingly. It was not long after that that her touch skipped up the slayer's ribcage; her thumbs brushed against the underside of the brunette's full breasts. The blonde dancer dared her fingers to go higher and to further push both of their boundaries; only stopping short of going through with the act due to the unwelcome eyes that observed their intimate deed from behind dark lens.

The woman seemed to grunt in frustration when she pulled her hands out from beneath Faith's shirt. "Bloody cameras everywhere," she complained bitterly. Buffy's voice sounded momentarily foreign with the English curse.

She stood once again and settled back on Faith's lap, this time with her naked back facing Faith's front. She held onto the armrests, keeping most of her weight off the Boston slayer. Her thin arm muscles twitched and tensed.

The stripped-down dancer ground her backside into Faith's lap. Her back pressed solidly against the brunette's clothed breasts and her head fell back slightly to lean on the Boston woman's shoulder. Faith could feel the heat pouring off the other woman like a volcano shedding molten lava. She smelled sweet, like lilacs, with just the faint scent of cigar smoke in her blonde hair.

"Do you live close by?" the blonde panted in a whispered breath.

Faith swallowed hard and nodded.

"Good," the stripper nearly groaned. "I guess we're both lucky then that my shift ends right after this."

Faith's breath caught in her throat when she finally deciphered what the other woman was suggesting. Still unable to find her voice, she merely nodded again.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

_Flashback (continued)_

Kate yawned and opened the stainless-steel refrigerator. She tugged at the bottom of the oversized t-shirt she'd borrowed from Faith to sleep in. In her regular body, the t-shirt would have barely covered her backside, but in her current smaller figure it reached the top of her bronzed thighs.

The girl frowned at the extremely scant contents of the kitchen appliance – a few boxes of leftover Chinese food, a lone bottle of beer, a container of mustard, and most confusing of all, what appeared to be plastic hospital baggies full of blood.

Defeated, she closed the fridge door and moved to cabinets, hoping to find a pantry of dried foods. After trial and error, Kate finally stumbled upon a ceiling cabinet full of cereal, pasta, and minute rice. She quietly cursed to herself as she tried to reach a box of cereal, just out of her stretched reach. Her calves and the arches of her feet burned as she tried to reach the highest shelf.

"_Why did Faith have to be in love with such a short woman?"_ she grumbled to herself.

"Morning," came an unfamiliar male voice.

The unexpected greeting startled the shape-shifting stripper. The box of cereal she'd been trying to grab fell past her fingertips and tumbled out of the cabinet and onto the floor. Cheerios scattered on the marble tiles.

"_That girl had better have a roommate and not a jealous boyfriend,"_ she silently prayed.

Kate abruptly spun on her heels to face the owner of the deep voice, dreading the worst.

"Buffy!" Angel exclaimed, unable to believe his eyes. "What are you doing here?" The vampire instinctively wrapped his arms around his former lover.

With the vampire's familiar touch, a flash from the undead man's memories shot into Kate's head. A much younger and blonder Buffy, walking down a series of concrete steps with a sucker in her mouth, surrounded by a group of adoring friends. Angel finally meeting the girl face-to-face in a Sunnydale alleyway and giving her the gift of a silver cross. The anguish he felt, unable to save Buffy's life after being drowned at the hands of the Master. Buffy losing her virginity to her undead lover, and Angel consequently losing his soul. The Chosen One stabbing Angel, sending him to Hell to save the world. Angel becoming human for a day, only to have the day rewind and Buffy's memory of the event erased. A confusing conversation about baking cookies. Twilight.

The whole complicated history of their love life flooded Kate's brain.

The overwhelmed girl blinked her eyes rapidly, and Angel's chiseled face came back into focus. His dark eyes stared into her own. "Oh dear," she said aloud, slightly grimacing. "This is awkward."

Angel's forehead lined with concern. "Buffy, what's wrong?"

"Look, big guy..." Kate awkwardly pushed herself off the larger man. "I'm sorry about this little mess up. Obviously you _know_ this Buffy chick, too. She must be quite the catch."

The lines in Angel's forehead deepened. "You're talking about yourself in the 3rd person. That's never a good sign. Did you hit your head or something? Amnesia? A spell?" The souled vampire moved in closer to try to examine the woman's head.

Kate deftly ducked out of the way with years of experience from dodging grabby patrons at the strip club. "Okay, we need to stop with the whole touchy-feely thing," she quipped. "Even a girl like me has barriers."

Angel frowned. "Buffy, stop messing around," he chastised. "You're seriously starting to freak me out." The broad-shouldered man grabbed for the blonde once again. Kate ducked beneath the vampire's arms. While escaping, she inadvertently knocked her hand against a dirty frying pan sitting on the stove top. The pan fell noisily to the ground.

"How I live with being a stripper is beyond me sometimes," the blonde woman marveled aloud.

"Stripper?" Angel's eyes refocused on the woman who looked like his ex-girlfriend. "Who are you?"

Buffy's mouth set in a hard, determined line. "Maybe you should tell me who you are first. You're the one hugging up on me out of the blue."

The undead man's face narrowed in anger. He strode toward the small woman and deftly pinned her to the fridge. "What kind of demon are you?" he snarled angrily, tightening his hold on her thin wrists.

"Fuck!" Kate swore. The man's hands were like a vice around her wrists. "Piss off!" she snapped in defiance.

"Tell me or I will have _no problem_ forcing it out of you," the vampire growled. Angel struggled to bite back his Game Face. He didn't want to unnecessarily reveal himself to this woman just yet.

Faith ran down the second-floor stairs that lead into the kitchen, having heard the pot rattle on the floor and the ensuing yelling. "Get off of her!" she cried out.

Angel turned to look at the Boston slayer. "She's not Buffy, Faith!" he exclaimed. He looked back at the blonde girl and his top lip curled. "She's just some _demon,_" he growled, punctuating the word by slamming the girl's body against the refrigerator again, "that's up to no good."

Faith clenched and unclenched her fists, rage boiling through her blood and the scene of Angel lumbering over the smaller blonde girl. "Let her go, Angel," she stated slowly in a voice more calm than she currently felt, "or you and I are going to have a big problem.

Angel flicked his eyes toward the brunette girl. Sensing the sincerity of her words, he reluctantly released Kate. The blonde quickly scampered away from the vampire and the fridge and moved behind Faith's figure. She rubbed at her tender wrists and glared at the brooding man over Faith's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Faith asked.

Angel and Kate responded at the same time: "I'm fine."

"I was talking to _her_," Faith informed the ageless man.

"I'm fine," Kate told the brunette slayer. She made a face at Angel, who continued to look dumbfounded by the situation. "Look you, tosser," she barked, "if I was a demon, would I be doing my evil deeds in my underwear?"

Angel pointed at the blonde girl. "You, don't talk to me." He snapped his eyes in the direction of Faith. "You, explain."

"I'm not your kid, Angel. Back off," Faith warned the vampire. She continued to stare at the undead man, but addressed the woman still half-hiding behind her. "Kate…I think you should go upstairs," she suggested. "We'll go out and grab some food, okay?"

The half-naked woman glanced back and forth between the two stoical individuals. She opened her mouth, but then closed it as if sensing now wasn't the time for conversation. Instead, she nodded and then turned to walk up the staircase that led to the second floor and Faith's bedroom.

Angel seemed to wait until the Buffy look-a-like was out of sight before he laid into Faith again. "You gave it a _name_?" he declared.

"She had a name long before me..." Faith frowned.

"I think I deserve an explanation," the grim vampire said, crossing his arms across his chest. "There's a girl in our apartment that looks like Buffy. _And_ she was in her underwear," he pointed out. "Tell me it's not what I think it is."

The Boston woman sighed deeply and dropped her eyes to the linoleum floor. "You weren't supposed to see her," Faith said quietly.

"What _is _she?" Angel asked, his voice raising.

"I don't know," the Boston girl admitted. "A demon of some kind, I'm sure."

"Whatever she is," Angel started, "you know this is wrong. It's sick and it's wrong," he bitterly reiterated.

"Fuck, like you don't think I _know _that?" Faith seethed. "It just…it just happened. I didn't ask for any of it."

The two tormented demon-fighters stopped their conversation abruptly when they heard the sound of feet on the wooden staircase. Instead of seeing Buffy again, however, a brunette woman came back down the stairs wearing jeans and a t-shirt that Angel vaguely remembered as belonging to Faith.

Either Faith had entertained a brothel of women the previous night, or this was the girl from earlier. But at least she no longer looked like Buffy. Angel stared hard at the girl, still disbelieving that such a thing was possible, part of him still clinging to the hope that it really had been Buffy.

Kate slipped her hand into Faith's and gave it a squeeze. "I hope you don't mind," she smiled warmly, indicating her outfit. "I couldn't really go out to brunch wearing the clothes I was in last night."

Faith barely glanced at the girl. She continued to stare at Angel, trying to read his expression. "Yeah, no big deal," she told the dancer.

Angel's mouth was set in a hard line. "We _will _talk about this, Faith," he said, his tone void of emotion.

"Later," Faith replied, affirming his demand. "Let's go, Kate," she said to the girl whose hand seemed to naturally mold into her own. "I'm starved."

"So do you do this often?" Faith asked.

She and Kate walked side-by-side as they strolled down the sparsely populated sidewalk in her London neighborhood.

"Have breakfast?" Kate grinned.

Faith's generous mouth twisted. "No. Have sex with your clients and then go out for brunch."

"Would you believe me if I said you were my first?" the brunette dancer posed with a tiny smile.

"I _might_ believe the brunch part," Faith laughed. "Truth be told, I'm not a sleepover kind of girl myself, either."

Kate grinned at the brunette slayer. "Are you telling me you're a slumber party virgin?"

"You've given me a lot of firsts," Faith acknowledged with a grimace.

The smile on Kate's mouth faltered for the first time. "I hope you don't feel…" she hesitated, stumbling on the words, "weird…about what happened last night."

"…And again this morning," Faith pointed out with a cheeky grin.

The brunette's cheeks flushed attractively. "I'm a little amazed by your stamina. You're quite the athlete."

The dark slayer stopped in her tracks. "I don't want to be rude, but _what _are you?" Faith questioned, finally asking the question that had plagued her from the moment she'd seen the dancer in the shape of her sister-Slayer.

The svelte dancer halted as well. "Just a girl," she smirked.

"Uh huh," the brunette slayer said, unbelieving. "I think you had better a chance of me believing your lie about first-time client sex."

"That guy back at your apartment," Kate stated, turning the questioning on the Boston woman. "Who is he?"

"That's my roommate, Angel," Faith said vaguely. "And I'm so sorry he…uh…attacked you like that. He hasn't been himself lately."

"He seemed to have feelings for Buffy, too, " the exotic dancer noted, hazarding a sidelong glance at the Boston slayer. "And he doesn't seem to be…human. And while we're on the subject," she continued, "how are you handling all of this so well? It's not exactly everyday you meet someone with my kind of gift."

Faith tugged on her ponytail nervously, reluctant to out herself. "It's a long story. I guess none of us are who we seem to be."

Kate made a grunting noise when two men in dark clothes roughly bumped into her on the sidewalk. "Hey!" she called out indignantly. The men continued to sprint down the sidewalk without looking back. She rubbed at her shoulder. "That was rude," she grumbled.

"Stop them! Please, someone!" A tall, slightly balding man in a suit ran out the front door of a sidewalk shop. "I've just been robbed!"

"Faith!" Kate yelled out as the woman next to her suddenly burst into a sprint, chasing after the two escaping men.

The dancer stared after the dark slayer in mixed wonder and horror. Faith vaulted down the sidewalk, not slowing her gait. When the two men turned the corner to race down an alleyway, the Boston girl followed as well.

The storeowner stood beside Kate, dumbfounded. "Is your friend a police officer?" he asked.

"She'd better not be trying to impress me," Kate muttered more to herself than to the man standing beside her.

Gritting her teeth and silently cursing herself for not being in better shape, Kate started to run after the woman with whom she'd spent the previous evening. She jogged down the sidewalk and turned down the alley she recalled seeing Faith and the two thieves escaping into. To her surprise, it didn't take long before she caught up with Faith and the robbers.

Near a large garbage dumpster one of the men lay on the concrete, apparently unconscious. The green dumpster was dented on the side and for a brief moment, Kate entertained the idea that the man's body had caused the metal's blemish. The second man, also on the ground, was clearly in pain. He groaned and rolled around on the gritty pavement. Next to him was a canvas bag. A variety of expensive-looking jewelry spilled out the top.

Faith was bent over slightly, her hands on her knees, breathing a little heavy from chasing down the two thieves.

The brunette dancer looked back and forth between the much larger men and the attractive girl. "Who are _you_?" she asked, breathless from the excursion.

The Boston slayer looked up and flashed the other woman a quick smile. "Just a girl."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

_Present Day_

Buffy looked back and forth between the dark-haired slayer and the woman who seemed to be wearing her skin. "I don't think I need to use your bathroom anymore."

"Buffy…" Faith let go of the other blonde woman to plead with the Chosen One.

The California slayer shut her eyes tight. "Don't, Faith. Just…don't." She inhaled sharply before opening her eyes again. Faith stared at her, her dark eyes intense.

"I have to go," Buffy announced, spinning on her heels.

Ignoring the Bostonian's trailing pleas, Buffy quickly made her way to Xander's car. She cursed loudly when she pulled on the backseat's door handle and found the car was locked.

"Dawn!" she yelled. "We're leaving, _now_!"

The youngest Summers girl flashed Faith an apologetic glance before rushing out the motel room, quickly followed by her boyfriend. Xander stumbled briefly in his hurry to evacuate the scene.

Dawn unlocked the car, and she and the two passengers slid into their respective seats. The youngest Summers woman turned on the car and immediately pulled out of the motel parking lot. The three friends sat in silence, not even the radio on to break the tension.

"Buff…" Xander started hesitantly.

"I'm not ready to talk about this," Buffy snapped at the one-eyed man.

Her long-time friend sunk deeper into the passenger-side seat.

Buffy chewed on her bottom lip and looked out her window, watching the city pass by. She felt angry. She felt betrayed by Faith _again. _She felt like screaming. She felt like crying. But most of all, she felt like peeing.

She cleared her throat, embarrassed. "Uh, guys….can we stop someplace? I still have to pee."

Faith stormed back into the motel room. She slammed the door behind her and stalked over to the bed. She sat down heavily on the mattress. A strange look passed over her face and she reached beneath her, pulling out the remote she'd sat down on. Out of frustration she threw the television remote across the room. The black electronic box shattered against the motel wall.

"Fuck," Faith swore. She dropped her head into her hands and tried to breathe deeply.

Kate looked at her girlfriend, not sure what to do. The Boston slayer stared at the floor through her fingers. Kate shifted her shoulders slightly and her body melted back into her original figure. Her clothes fit a little tighter as Buffy's body was a few inches shorter than her natural body, but at the moment the fit of her clothing was the least of her worries. She walked over to the bed and placed a sympathetic hand on Faith's shoulder, only to have the brunette slayer shrug her off.

Faith looked up at the other woman and her mouth set cruelly when she recognized Kate had shifted to her neutral form. "Oh! _Now_ you change?" the Boston slayer snorted. "Couldn't you have done that _before _Buffy walked in?"

Kate blinked a few times at the other girl. "You can't honestly be blaming this on me," she said in disbelief.

"Who else do I blame then?" Faith demanded, throwing her hands in the air. "Do I blame _her_ for walking in on this chaos of a situation? Do I blame _her _for caring enough to follow me back here? Do I blame _her_ for the fact that I had to bail out earlier?"

Kate set her jaw hard. "Fine," she barked bitterly. "Blame me then. It's obvious that the issue here is me, and my existence in your life."

Faith released a disgruntled sigh. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. _I'm_ the idiot. I should never have brought you here."

"You know, I think I've been pretty understanding about this whole situation," Kate grumbled. "I didn't complain once about being stuck in the room. Plus, I've never punished you over the fact that you're in love with another girl. I really deserve a medal or something for how great a girlfriend I've been," she commented bitterly.

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Let's not forget that I never expected you to keep looking like her."

"Whatever," Kate scoffed.

"Stop it, Kate," Faith grunted. "You know that part at least isn't my fault."

The British woman frowned. "So what is Buffy going to think I am?"

Faith shrugged. "I don't know. A robot, probably. Wouldn't be the first time that happened." She rested her head in her hands. "Fuck," she cursed again. "I'm no better than Spike."

"Who, or rather _what_,is a Spike?" Kate questioned.

"Just a sleeze-ball vampire in love with Buffy."

"What's with vampires being in love with her?" the brunette shape-shifter snorted. "Is it just me, or is that kind of thing _not _supposed to happen. Wait, _you _don't have your own vampire groupies, too, do you?"

Faith wrinkled her nose. "Trust me on this one. Buffy's one of a kind when it comes to the vampire lovin.'"

"So how are you planning on fixing this, Slayer?" Kate frowned. "You came here to do a job, and I'm not letting you leave with your tail tucked between your legs."

"Fuck, I don't know. I'm back to square one now," Faith complained. "She'll never talk to me after this," she bemoaned.

Giving into her girlfriend's sadness and despair, Kate's anger receded. "You don't know that," she said softly.

Faith glared at the other woman. "Yes, I do," she announced stubbornly.

Kate walked over to the bed to sit next to the grieving slayer. She sat awkwardly, unsure of what to do or what to say to offer her partner some sympathy.

Faith rested her head in her hands. "I knew this would bite me in the ass one day," she muttered miserably "… just didn't realize how crappy it would feel."

Kate sighed sadly. "Well, you played with fire and got burned, sweetie."

Faith stood up abruptly, not wanting to be near her girlfriend. It was too much of a bitter reminder that, years older, she still was no wiser when it came to Buffy. The dark slayer stalked over to the tiny refrigerator in the room. Not bothering to properly unlock the cheap lock, she yanked open the door, practically ripping the tiny door from its hinges.

Faith looked inside at the dozens of tiny bottles stacked in neat rows. She could only hope there was enough alcohol in the mini-bar to get her through the night.

Buffy blustered into the front entrance of an all-night diner located between Faith's motel and her apartment. Her dramatic entrance earned her the attention of the small restaurant's late night patrons.

"Uhm, bathroom?" she squeaked out, flushing under the gaze of so many eyes.

A waitress in a wrinkled and stained apron snapped her gum. "Bathroom's for customers only," she drawled in a non-Californian accent.

Dawn and Xander walked into the diner behind the elder slayer. "What's the hold up?" Dawn asked her sister, clearly annoyed by the way the evening had turned out. When she'd agreed to hang out with Buffy and Faith that night, running around San Francisco proper hadn't been on her list of Things to Do.

"Order something," Buffy implored of her sister. "They won't let me use the bathroom unless we're paying customers."

Xander rubbed his hands together and looked at the simple menu scrawled on a blackboard near the kitchen. "Oooh, what's on the Specialty Fries?" he asked, practically licking his lips.

The waitress curled her lip. "It's a House secret," she replied.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Sounds great. We'll have an order of those." She pulled her boyfriend towards a padded booth and sat down on the bench across from him.

Buffy flashed a grateful smile in the direction of her sister and friend. "Bathroom?" she asked the stoical waitress once again.

The aging woman sniffed and pointed to a hallway on the far side of the diner. "Over there," she grunted.

Buffy briskly walked to the back bathroom. It was a single bathroom, just a toilet, trash can, sink and mirror in the room. She locked the flimsy lock behind her.

"So what do you make of this Buffy 2.0 business?" Xander asked as he picked at his paper napkin. "Is it possible that magic isn't as dead as we thought?"

"And that Faith has been hiding out Buffy's doppelganger since she got into town?" Dawn finished for her boyfriend.

Xander shrugged. "Stranger things have happened," he pointed out.

"True," Dawn noted, her mouth twisting in thought. "But if that were the case, then _why? _Why would Faith try to hide her from us?"

Xander shook his head. He looked toward the diner entrance when the tiny bell over the door jangled when half a dozen drunk co-eds stumbled into the late-night eatery.

"I'm just seriously hoping it's not another Buffy-bot," Dawn remarked. "As much as I love Faith, the thought of her having a sex-doll in the shape of my sister seriously creeps me out."

Xander's good eye seemed to glaze over at the suggestion. Naked, sweaty slayers bounced through the caverns of his mind. He blinked rapidly when he felt a sharp pain in his shin. "Ow!" he yelped, his hand flying beneath the diner table to grab at his throbbing leg.

Dawn narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend. "Tell me you weren't just imagining my sister and Faith having sex."

The one-eyed man ducked his head and pretended to focus on the table top. "I wasn't…" he lied, his voice cracking. "Will you stop kicking me now?"

The youngest Summers girl continued to glare. "You're lucky I only kicked your leg. I could have aimed a little higher."

Luckily for the carpenter, their simple order of Specialty Fries came out quickly. Their waitress set a plastic tray piled high with French fries, drowning in nacho cheese, refried beans, green onion, and chili meat.

"Anything else for ya'll?" the disgruntled employee asked.

Dawn shook her head. "No, we're fine, thanks."

The woman hovered near their table to scribble their bill on a paper receipt. "And don't even think about ditchin'," she grumbled, setting the check near Xander's elbow. "I know how you kids operate. Using our public toilet and then runnin' out on your bill."

Xander reached into his back pocket and pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet. He flashed the agitated waitress an appeasing smile as he set the money on the table.

The waitress regarded them for a moment. "Probably won't even eat the food," she grunted before turning away.

The young couple started to pick at the fried potatoes in front of them to appease the waitress.

"I hope Buffy's nicer to her customers," Dawn observed under her breath. "I half expect our food to be poisoned."

Xander cleared his throat. "So, uh, besides that thing I'm not supposed to think about under threat of bodily harm, what other reason could there be for what we saw in Faith's room?"

Dawn shook her head and fished out a French fry from beneath a pile of cheese. "I don't know. But for the Good of the World, I sincerely hope there's some other excuse."

Buffy washed her hands at the bathroom sink and glanced up at her reflection. Her hair looked a little flat and her eye makeup was worn beneath her eyes. She looked away from her reflection because it reminded her too much of seeing her doppelganger inside of Faith's motel room. But she knew it wasn't her real doppelganger – someone from an alternate dimension.

Prior to the their battle against Twilight, she might have even entertained the idea that Faith had sought out a second Buffy from another dimension to help them. But without magic, that kind of inter-dimensional travel was no longer possible. There was only one remaining possible explanation for seeing her twin in Faith's rented room – Faith had gotten herself her very own Buffy-bot.

"_She probably bought it with Giles' money, too,"_ she bitterly mused to herself.

The Californian scrubbed furiously at her hands. She'd been a fool to think things could be different between her and the younger slayer. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

Buffy exited the bathroom and quickly found where her sister and Xander were seated. She slid into the space next to Dawn. "Those things any good?" she asked, pointing at the slop-covered fries.

Xander picked another fry out of the sticky pile. "They'd be better if I were drunk and had no idea what I was eating," he remarked.

"Well if you're done with them," Buffy noted, "I'm ready to head back to the apartment. I'm _so _ready for this day to be over."

"We should go back to Faith's motel," Dawn suggested. "How are the two of you going to work together to defeat Simone if you don't patch over this hiccup?"

"Simple," Buffy said, her features stoical. "We're not."

"What?" Xander exclaimed. "But you called her over because you needed her. She's here because you _asked_."

"Forget about Faith, you guys. I'm finished with her," the blonde stated grimly. "We'll figure this thing out without her help."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9: Only Human**

Dawn pushed through the front entrance of the small coffee shop where her sister worked. She didn't often visit her sister, not that she didn't enjoy the free coffee; seeing her older sister waitressing again while she was in college earning a degree made the youngest Summers woman feel guilty. She recognized how much Buffy had sacrificed, not just to save the world, but to put Dawn's needs before her own.

Not that she'd ever tell Buffy how much it meant to her. That girl already had a big enough ego.

Dawn flashed her sister a smile as the blonde waited on a young man looking over the daily assortment of Danish. She pointed in the direction of an empty table and Buffy nodded, silently noting she'd be over momentarily.

The brunette co-ed sat by herself at the small circular table and looked over the laminated coffee menu at her table.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" her sister questioned, walking up to the table where Dawn sat.

The brunette teen set her menu flat on the table. "Just wanted to see how you're doing," she revealed, putting her elbows on the table and staring up at her older sister.

Buffy's mouth twisted. "Well, it was a little busy during the morning rush like usual, but things have quieted down."

Dawn frowned. "You know that's not what I mean, Buffy," she said in a low voice.

The Chosen One sighed and sat down across from her sister. "I know what you mean, Dawnie. I just _really _don't want to talk about it."

"Talking is good though," the younger of the two argued. "You've been avoiding talking about it for three days already. It's not healthy to keep this stuff pent up."

Buffy shook her head and made a face. "Well sorry if I don't want to talk about what a pervert Faith turned out to be."

"I'm sure she's got a good reason for –."

"There is_ no_ good reason for what I saw that night," Buffy interrupted sharply. "Don't you think I haven't gone over and over this in my head?"

Dawn frowned. "Then we're missing something," she said with equal fierceness. "Faith wouldn't…she…" The brunette shook her head. "You need to talk to her."

Buffy set her stubborn mouth. "I'm sick of all the talking," she complained. "I'm sick of all this inactivity. I just need to attack Simone's warehouse and be done with it."

"You know, if Faith's friend really does look like you, maybe that could help us," Dawn mused aloud. "Kind of like how we used the Buffy-bot to fool Glory."

"That _thing_ is not helping us," Buffy said through gritted teeth.

"You know, you acted the same way about the Buffy-bot," Dawn pointed out. "Why do you hate things that look like you so much? You usually reserve that kind of hatred for rogue slayers and evil demons."

"I don't know," Buffy said rolling her eyes. "Maybe I have a problem with people jerking off to my likeness," she snapped. "Seems like a pretty good reason to be upset."

"Or maybe you have a self-perception issue," her sister suggested, leaning forward. "May it be a physically or subliminally subjection of your emotional issues on any lookalike, when you look at yourself from a third-person point of view," Dawn took a deep breath and continued to babble, "you're finally capable of fully examining every issue that plagues your life from what you believe is through the 'eyes of a stranger'."

Buffy gave her sister a blank stare.

"Don't mind me," the younger of the two chuckled. "I have a psychology class this semester, and it's getting to me."

"Yeah, well now you're not helping me either. So…good job."

Dawn stuck her bottom lip out. "_Hey_."

"Fine," Buffy sighed, rubbing at her temples. "You can still help. At this point I can't be picky about who helps." She looked up sharply at her sister. "But _not _Faith. I don't need that kind of help."

"Speaking of help," Dawn started, "have you heard from Willow lately? I keep calling her to see if she's found out anything about the building Simone's camped in, but she hasn't gotten back to me. She was supposed to check out who holds the lease on the property."

Buffy shook her head. "I haven't talked to Wills since we went to that club." She made a face. "I guess I've been a little too preoccupied with all this Faith business."

"I'll drop by her apartment later today after class," Dawn noted as she stood up to leave. "It's important we all stick together right now."

Buffy smiled up at her sister. "Thanks for stepping up so much lately, Dawnie," she said gratefully. "It makes me feel better knowing that I can count on you."

The youngest Summers girl grinned at her sister. "You shouldn't worry about me," she noted. "I've got Buffy Summers blood, after all."

The Chosen One stared after her sister as she left the coffee shop. "Almost sounds like something that Simone wishes she could say," she wistfully remarked.

_Flashback_

The slayer and the shape-shifter lay together on an old horse blanket just outside of the barn on Giles' country estate. Even though the weekends were her most lucrative days of the week, Kate had taken the long weekend off of work to visit the Boston girl at her home in the country. The two had been riding all morning and were now taking a break for lunch. Kate picked at the remnants of a sandwich from the picnic Mrs. Cribbage had made for them.

Faith inspected her lover's face while the girl fed her bread crusts to a colony of ants. "Kiss me."

A devilish grin slid onto Kate's borrowed face and she discarded the sandwich. "You don't have to tell _me _twice."

Faith's forehead furrowed. "No. Kiss me as _you_."

"Don't, Faith." The blonde woman's smile faded away. "You know I don't like doing that."

The brunette slayer sat up from her reclined position and looked frustrated. "We've been doing this for about a month now, Kate. When are you going to be _you_ again? I miss the way the sun bounces off your chestnut hair. The unreal color of your green eyes," she listed off. "I'm worried that my memories of the real you are starting to fade."

"Good," Kate stated, looking satisfied. "It'll make this more real."

Faith sighed, disgruntled. "Don't say that. Why can't this be real, but with the _real_ youand me?"

The shape-shifter looked frustrated as she pulled herself up to a seated position. "Faith… god," she sighed. She grabbed onto her knees. "I don't know how to say this without sounding weird."

"What?"

Kate chewed on her lip and looked slightly embarrassed. "I do this for myself as much as I do it for you."

Faith gave the other woman a questioning look.

"You love this girl," Kate observed, gesturing to her body and facial features. "Deny it if you want, but I've _seen_ the truth, and you'll never tell me anything that will convince me otherwise."

Faith's features scrunched together. "What does this have to do with you refusing to look like yourself?"

Kate made a frustrated noise. She pulled a piece of straw from her hair and threw it. The wind caught it and it fell back onto the blanket. "You love her," she tried to explain again. "What you feel for me is amplified because there are moments that I can tell that you forget I'm not her."

The Bostonian looked momentarily horrified. "What makes you say that?"

"Because when reality strikes you, when you remember that I'm not really Buffy, that glimmer of pure joy in your eyes…" Kate frowned. "…it fades."

Faith shook her head adamantly. "You're lying."

"And you're denying," Kate quickly countered. "I can see your sorrow, Faith."

"Then why don't you just become you?" Faith demanded, feeling her anger rise. "Why parade around as Buffy? Don't you think when you look like _that_, it only makes it worse for me?"

"I can't stand to see the look of disappointment on your face every time you look at me when I'm in my other body," Kate shared with equal passion. "At least when I'm _her, _I get some of those perfect moments. Even though they're meant for her," she noted, "I would rather be some copycat that has that than nothing at all."

"Why put yourself through that?" Faith questioned, frowning. "It's totally crazy."

"I've spent my life being everyone else and never myself," Kate reasoned, "so when you look at me, and I see nothing but adoration in your eyes, why would I want to be anyone else but _her?_"

Faith sighed. The other woman's passion seemed to drain the anger from her. "Kate," she said, taking her lover's hands in her own, "when we're having fun, enjoying each other's company, I'm in that moment with _you_," she tried to assure the shape-shifter. "I'm not in some la-la land with Buffy Summers," she said, shaking her head. "I'm with you."

Kate crossed her arms stubbornly across her chest, but remained silent.

"You're different than her," Faith noted. "You dislike graveyards, she practically lives in them," she listed off. "You love fantasy movies, while she love romantic comedies. You love miracle whip, and she loves mayonnaise."

Kate made a face at the last statement.

"Okay," Faith conceded with a grin, "you don't like miracle whip, but I'm just trying to make a point."

Both women sighed and fell back down onto the blanket in silence.

"I'm not ready to go back, yet," Kate said quietly. She stared at the passing clouds overhead. "I'm afraid it'll change things between us."

Faith turned slightly to look at her girlfriend. She grabbed onto Kate's hand and gently squeezed it. "It's not going to," she stated with emotion.

"Please, Faith," Kate pled. "I don't trust it."

Faith looked stonily at the other woman. She dropped Kate's hand. "You mean you don't trust _me_," she said glumly.

Kate frowned. "Don't twist my words."

Faith held up her hands. "You might think I…I love her…but my first instinct is to fight with her," she excused her behavior. "So you can't blame me for my attitude. Stop looking and sounding like her, and I'll stop too."

The shape-shifter sighed heavily, not wanting to keep fighting with the stubborn Boston woman. "How about this," she compromised. "The _true_ Kate will be with you tonight… I'll ween myself off of Buffy, so you can too."

The Bostonian grinned triumphantly. "I like that plan," she agreed. "_Now,_ do you happen to have the ability to speed up time, too? Cause I'd really enjoy that right now." She crawled over to Kate with a wolfish smile splayed across her face.

"Oh yeah?" Kate matched Faith's playful smile with one of her own. "I might be able to arrange something if you really want it."

"Oh, I want it alright…" the brunette slayer purred.

Kate cuddled close to the slightly taller woman and kissed the Bostonian's pert nose. "Close your eyes," she whispered, "And I'll make it happen for you."

When Faith immediately obeyed, Kate lightly pressed her lips against the slayer's closed eyelids. The air shimmered around them as she returned to her neutral, non-Buffy form.

"Okay," she murmured to her lover.

Faith slowly opened one eye and was greeted with the familiar face of Kate in her natural shape. She lazily grinned at the shape-shifter. "What other tricks can you do if I close my eyes again?"

Kate's generous mouth curled into a mischievous smile. "Close your eyes and let's find out."

_Present Day_

Buffy stepped into the large, chain grocery store and tried to get her bearings. "Twenty minute drive for energy drinks. What have you become, Summers?" she muttered to herself. "What have you become?"

After getting off of work for the day, Buffy had returned to the apartment she shared with Xander and Dawn. Her sister was at class at UCSF until later that evening and Xander was nowhere to be found, so she'd pocketed the extra set of keys and borrowed Xander's car to drive out to the suburbs.

She could have picked up a smaller pack of energy drinks at the local grocery store, but she felt less guilty about spending money on caffeine when it came in a box of 24. Although she was paying more upfront, she reasoned she was being thrifty in the long-term. Buffy had even gone so far as to do the math – the total savings for the drink was $6 dollars, less the $4 in gas, and she was on her way to financial bliss.

Eschewing a grocery cart, Buffy stepped quickly in the direction of the aisle where she remembered last finding the addictive beverages. It was at least a 40-minute round trip, and she didn't want to get stuck in rush hour traffic.

Turning a corner, the Chosen One found herself in the energy and sports drink aisle. After locating the thin cans she normally purchased, she stopped momentarily to scan her wall of other options.

Mistaking Buffy's scanning for confusion, a store employee stepped up to the attractive slayer. "Do you need help, miss?" the clerk asked.

"I'm okay," Buffy assured the man. "Thank you though."

The man lingered by her side. "I can carry that case for you if needed," he offered, pointing at one of the energy drink pallets. "It's awfully heavy."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Buffy said to the man again. "I'm fine."

The clerk gave the slender girl a weak smile, and Buffy went back to looking at her many options.

"What am I even doing looking at other options?" Buffy wondered aloud. "I came out here for this; I'm not going home with something I could have bought near home."

Buffy felt someone tap her right shoulder.

"Like I said," she started again without looking back. "I'm sure about not needing…" She turned her head to look at the hovering clerk, but was surprised to find an attractive brunette standing behind her instead. "….help."

The slightly taller woman smiled warmly. Her dazzling green eyes seemed to sparkle even beneath the unflattering store lights. "I think that was meant for someone else."

Buffy flushed. "I'm so sorry….am I in your way?"

The other woman smiled broader. "Nope." She continued to stand in the aisle.

Buffy continued to scrutinize the attractive woman. "Do I know you?" she asked, confused as to why the girl had been trying to get her attention.

"I'm Kate."

Buffy blinked a few times, the name not registering.

The girl slapped her forehead with her palm. "Sorry," she laughed. She cleared her throat once. "You probably don't recognize me in this body," she said in a voice that mirrored Buffy's.

Buffy's hazel-green eyes went wide as she heard her own voice echoing in her ears. The pieces slowly began to come together. 

"_You_," she hissed. "I don't even know where to start with you," she seethed in an angry, yet quiet tone. "I-I-…What gives you the right to take over my identity?" As her anger boiled hotter, the volume of her voice rose, quickly catching the attention of other shoppers.

"You make it sound like I stole your credit card and put you into debt." A playful grin crept onto Kate's shapely mouth. "From what I hear though, you don't need my help."

Noticing that her attempt at humor was failing, Kate breathed out deeply. "Listen. It's not what you think, okay?"

"What? That Faith is so desperate and mentally ill that she found…" she paused, realizing she still had no idea what or who this girl was if she wasn't a robot, "…whatever you are…to impersonate me? And now you're stalking me?" Her voice reached a nearly hysterical pitch.

"Can we talk?" Kate asked, taking a step closer so her low-tone could be heard. She flicked her eyes in the direction of a few shoppers who had stopped to observe their heated confrontation. "I think I saw a coffee shop just outside in the strip mall."

"What makes you think I'm crazy enough to want to hang out with you?" Buffy whispered sharply. "Do I look desperate for friends or something?"

Kate rolled her green eyes. "Buffy. Just do it for Faith."

The taller brunette turned her back on Buffy and began to walk away. The Chosen One watched the British woman's retreating form. After a few moments, she sighed heavily and began to walk in the direction the shape-shifting girl had gone.

"This is what I get for being addicted to caffeine," she grumbled to herself.

Buffy found the brunette woman sitting by herself at a metal table in front of a chain coffee shop. The slight breeze ruffled her straightened hair, and she pushed her oversized sunglasses up her forehead to keep her hair out of her face.

"I was beginning to think that you weren't going to come," Kate noted with a grim smile.

Buffy sat down at the table across from Kate. "What are you?"

"I guess we can skip past all the small talk," Kate deadpanned. "What I am, isn't important," she noted, waving a dismissive hand. "The only thing you need to know is that I'm not a robot, and I'm not evil. You could even do a spell or something on me to see if I'm telling you the truth."

Buffy's eyebrow rose. "Sounds a bit evil-doery to me."

Kate stared dumbfounded at the slayer. "I just offered –,"

"Of course you would offer to do that," Buffy interrupted, "knowing full well that I can't because magic no longer exists." She searched Kate's face, but could only find genuine confusion.

Kate sighed, realizing this wasn't going to be easy. "I've got…a knack."

"A knack?" Buffy repeated.

"You know…how I can…" Kate looked around to ascertain if anyone could overhear their conversation, "change into somebody else."

Buffy's inner slayer was crawling to discover what kind of creature this woman was. Because she continued to exist in their world, she was clearly a demon-hybrid, not a witch or full-demon, however. She would have to ask Willow to help her find out who this girl was later if Kate continued to be so vague.

"Can you change into anybody?" Buffy asked, trying to garner more clues.

Kate shook her head and set her coffee mug down. "It's not that easy," she revealed. "I can't just look at someone or see a picture and morph into them. And I can't turn into a guy – I tried once and it didn't turn out so well," she said, making a face.

"Have you always been able to do this?" the blonde questioned.

Kate shook her head. "My 'power', or whatever you want to call it, only came to me once I was a teenager. It took me a while to control it, so I secluded myself from the world for a while. This is my main body – the one I was born with," she further described. "Well…not the one I was _born _with…I didn't pop out of my mom a full-grown adult, but this is the body I grew into…" The woman looked slightly flustered trying to explain herself. "You know, I never started to babble like this until I started to wear your skin."

Buffy's eyes perceptibly narrowed.

"Sorry," Kate apologized quickly. "Not the point, I know. So this knack of mine…my…uh, gift I guess you could call it," she continued, "is I can tell what people want." She paused to suck in a deep breath. "More specifically, _who _they want. All it takes is a touch that lingers past a brush and I'm downloaded with details. The longer the touch, the more details I get – her scent, her voice, how she walks…"

"You're like a living-breathing dating-service," Buffy mused aloud, nearly forgetting she should be punching the woman seated across from her.

"Kind of, but not really. I don't always become their ideal match – just who they _think _they want. The one person at the top of their thoughts. I can't dig much deeper than the surface. As you can imagine," Kate continued, "there's very few professions where my skills are actually beneficial. So I guess that's why I started dancing at strip clubs. You'd be amazed at the tips I can get when I look like the inaccessible girl some dude wants to shag the most."

Buffy's jaw went lax. "So that's how you and Faith met?" she asked incredulously. "At a strip club?"

Kate couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah. Not as romantic as Soulmates with an unbreakable bond that's connected even with distance," she wistfully noted, "but it's enough for our arrangement."

Buffy couldn't pretend she didn't know to what the other woman was referring, but she made no comment. However, the carefully chosen word arrangement echoed relentlessly across the blonde's mind. "Are you in love with her?" she asked with hesitation.

Kate paused before replying, a little surprised at the blonde's question. "I love her the same way that she loves me."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Way to be vague."

"Look," Kate snapped, starting to feel annoyed by the blonde woman's chilly demeanor, "it wasn't Faith's idea for me to stay looking like you. It was mine." 

Buffy raised a surprised eyebrow. "Yours? Why?" 

"I was a birthday present," Kate revealed. "Her friends in London, they, uh, they rented me for her." She flushed and fiddled with her paper coffee cup. "I make a lot more money than your typical stripper because of my unique abilities. There's a waiting list to get a dance from me."

Buffy snorted. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Kate scowled and shook her head. "I'm just trying to clear Faith's name. She didn't know her friends had done this for her. When Faith first looked at me as you, there was something there that I haven't seen in many of my nightly patrons," the brunette noted sadly. She shook her head. "I don't make those kind of connections with my clients…with anyone…so I wanted to keep seeing her even after that night."

"That doesn't explain why you needed to look like me to keep seeing her," Buffy pointed out.

"When we're together, when I look like you, there are moments when I catch her forgetting the fact that I'm not you," Kate admitted, "and in those moments I feel a part of me melt inside. But there's always disappointment afterwards when she remembers who I really am," she noted. "Even though I know she cares for me, I still feel the love that she has for you."

Kate paused, feeling herself choke up. "But even though it's not perfect, it's the closest thing that I've felt to love in a long time...So yea," she said, slightly straightening up in her chair, "I chose to stay as you to keep a taste of that feeling. I know it's selfish, but it's intoxicating."

The blonde slayer shook her head, unbelieving. "But Kate, you're a beautiful girl in your normal body," she pointed out. "You shouldn't have to look like someone else to feel loved."

"You don't know what it's like. It's so hard," Kate vented, no longer really trying to explain herself to the blonde slayer. "My gift is more like a curse; it keeps me physically distant from most of the world. I don't do handshakes. I don't do hugs. Every lingering touch gives me unwanted access to who you want in all the world." Her face clouded over. "Intimacy is nearly impossible when you know who your lover truly wants. But _she_ – she tries so hard to make me, _me_ again_._"

Buffy was silent, letting all this new information settle into her brain. The idea that Faith lusted for her wasn't exactly news; some part of her had always known the Boston slayer's excessive flirting wasn't innocent. But Kate's admission to how Faith looked at her when she looked like Buffy…it caught her unprepared.

Buffy's silence began to irritate Kate. "If there's any chance that you might feel that way about her, Buffy, please, give her that chance," Kate pled. "I do love her, but I can part ways with her knowing that she's in good hands. But I can't – no," she corrected herself, "I _won't_ leave her if you don't at least fix what it is that's between the two of you." 

The Californian stared hard at the bold shape-shifter. "Shouldn't _she _be the one fixing things?" Buffy challenged. 

Kate's features softened. "She left you over 20 messages with your friend Xander and waited outside your home for over an hour on a few different occasions... She can only do so much if she's talking to a wall."

Abruptly, the brunette woman stood up to leave. "I hope you take into consideration what I said to you today," she remarked. "I won't be around tonight. I'm going to rent a room somewhere else for the day, so you should take this opportunity to talk to her."

She hesitated as if weighing whether or not to share the next piece of information. "She started to drink more... again," she stated thickly. "So I apologize if she's difficult tonight." Kate brushed a few errant strands of brown hair out of her green eyes. "Just remember that she's a good person and deserves to be loved." 

"We all deserve it," Buffy noted wistfully.

Kate looked down at the blonde for a moment. Buffy's head was clearly swimming from their revealing conversation. "Don't drop the ball, Summers," she stated finally. "Faith's only human, after all."

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

_Suggested Listening: Minuit – "Aotearoa" (original mix)_

Buffy wiped her sweaty palms on the sides of her jeans and adjusted her thin, grey cardigan on her shoulders before knocking on the motel door. She could hear shuffling coming from the other side of the door, and after a few moments, the door swung wide open.

Faith stood in the threshold, a nearly empty bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand. Her hair looked disheveled and her eyes were red-rimmed. She was barefoot, wearing only jeans and a stained wife-beater. The longer she stood in the doorway, the more it became apparent that she wore no bra beneath her thin top.

Buffy opened her mouth to speak.

"Did you forget your key?" Faith slurred, cutting off the Chosen One. She turned her back to the blonde slayer and walked back into the room.

Buffy closed her mouth and followed Faith inside, shutting the door behind her. The room was dark, only the glow of the television illuminating the small space. From behind her, the sickly yellow lighting of lampposts crept through the broken slats of the window blinds.

The Californian took a moment to look around the modest-sized room and allow her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Faith's rented room was messier than the last time she'd been there – when she'd discovered her shapeshifting look-a-like. Damp motel towels were piled on the floor, and empty pizza boxes had been haphazardly discarded on the carpet. At least in her hermitage she was still showering and eating, Buffy mused.

"How much have you had to drink?" Buffy asked the other slayer. She maneuvered deeper into the room, walking around empty beer cans and a number of shattered hard liquor bottles.

Faith flopped down on the bed, her stomach on the mattress and her limbs flopping off the edge of the bed. "Does it matter?" she mumbled into her pillow. The bottle of Jack Daniels slipped out of her hand and landed onto the carpet with a loud thud.

"I came over to talk," the blonde stated through gritted teeth, starting to get annoyed by Faith's behavior. "The least you could do is behave like a human."

The Boston slayer managed to rearrange her body so she was sitting on the edge of the mattress. She flashed the blonde woman a lurid leer. "What if I'm not in the mood for talkin'?"

"Then I should just leave," the California girl said briskly. "I guess I made a mistake in coming here." She shifted her body as if heading towards the motel room's exit.

Despite her highly inebriated state, Faith moved quickly. She stood up from the bed in a flash and caught the other woman around the waist.

Faith pulled the smaller slayer close. "Don't leave," the brunette breathed into Buffy's ear. "I missed you."

Even though she could smell the alcohol, the tickle of the taller slayer's warm breath against her ear and neck caused the Chosen One's knees to slightly buckle.

"I don't know why you gotta keep torturin' me though," Faith murmured.

The Boston woman's fingers traveled to the golden-hair woman's front and she wordlessly began to unbutton the other woman's thin sweater. Faith unsnapped just the bottom three buttons and slid her hands inside Buffy's top. The blonde slayer could feel the warmth of Faith's fingertips as they snuck through the opening of her cardigan and pressed against the white tank top she wore beneath her top.

"T-torture?" Buffy managed to stammer.

"Don't play dumb, Kate," the brunette purred, continuing to stroke the smaller woman's sides through her tank top. "You know what it does to me when you look like her."

Faith's head tipped to one side, and in a fluid motion, she swept the wheat-colored strands of Buffy's hair to the side. Before Buffy could react, Faith brought her mouth down to the short woman's exposed neck. The brunette gently sucked on the skin where Buffy's neck met her right shoulder. Faith moaned at the taste of the other girl, sending a jolting vibration down Buffy's body. She continued to nip at the sensitive flesh while Buffy desperately tried to string together complete thoughts.

She knew she should say something. She knew she should stop Faith and tell her she was mistaken. She wasn't Kate. She wasn't a shape-shifter. And she certainly wasn't gay. Sure she'd had sex with Satsu…twice…but that didn't mean anything, did it?

Plus this wasn't Satsu. This was_ Faith_. Faith, the woman who, not even a year ago, had tried to drown her. Faith, the slayer whom Giles had chosen over her as his heir. Faith, whose mouth and tongue seemed to know just where to touch and just how much pressure to apply to make her insides melt.

With only one hand, Faith popped open the top button of Buffy's jeans. Without unzipping the pants, she slid her hand beneath the waistband. The blonde's hazel-green eyes shut tightly and she released a shuddering breath as the Boston slayer sought out her clit and rubbed the sensitive nub through the front of her cotton underwear. Faith pushed her hand deeper into the other woman's pants, pulling another surprised noise from the blonde woman. She slid her finger down to where her opening was and pushed her finger against the material, causing it to plunge into Buffy's sex. The torment of restrained pressure sent a new wave of arousal to dampen the smaller slayer's underwear.

The blonde sucked in a deep breath. Only a thin barrier of material separated Faith's middle finger from the damp walls of her core. Without the stabilizing hand in the small of her back, she was sure she would fall over. The Boston slayer grunted as she thrust her finger in as far as the material of the blonde's underwear would allow.

"Need to feel you," Faith growled heatedly. Her dark eyes flashed as she hastily removed her hand from inside Buffy's jeans.

Buffy perceptibly stiffened when Faith's hands tightened at her waist. Surprising the still-stunned slayer, Faith lifted the other woman and headed back towards the queen-sized bed. Buffy's legs instinctively tightened around Faith's torso as though she'd performed the intimate act numerous times before; the instinctual act caused the slender woman's sensitive clit to press cruelly into her companion's body.

Faith carried the smaller slayer to the mattress, climbing on the bed without letting go of the other woman. The Bostonian's knees sunk into the spring-mattress, the bed creaking beneath their joined weight. The brunette's strong hands went to Buffy's backside.

Faith licked her full-bottom lip. She could feel the other woman's heart pulsing hard as she continued to hold her, wrapped around her torso. It didn't take long for Buffy to feel herself slipping, causing her to lock her ankles around Faith's back. She opened her mouth. She had to stop this before it went too far. It had already gone too far.

Mistaking the gesture, the Boston-born slayer leaned forward and pressed her soft lips against the blonde's parted mouth. Buffy was unable to muffle her surprise.

The Boston woman's tongue slipped between the elder slayer's lips. She caressed the blonde's tongue with her own, tasting her inside. Her tongue stroked along the top of Buffy's bottom teeth before sucking the Chosen One's lower lip into her mouth. The brunette gently nibbled at the lip held captive by her own; playfully gliding her tongue against the brim between each delicate bite. The small blonde couldn't control her body's reaction, and she moaned throatily into Faith's mouth.

Faith's eyes flew open and she made an alarmed noise in the back of her throat. Her shoulders tensed and her wandering hands immediately stopped their travels.

Buffy's breath hitched. _Faith knew_. She knew she wasn't Kate.

Faith pulled away and slowly let Buffy's body slip down until her knees were on the mattress, her body no longer supported by Faith's strength. Her dark eyes darted across Buffy's flushed features and her eyebrows knit together in confusion. The massive amounts of alcohol had dulled her ability to tell the difference between the real slayer and her copycat.

The Californian could see the muscles in Faith's jaw working as she clenched and unclenched her back teeth as though mentally wrestling with her sudden revelation. The two women sat on their knees and continued to wordlessly stare at each other, the only sound in the room their slightly labored breath and the murmur of a forgotten television.

After a moment that felt much longer, Buffy grabbed Faith by the back of her head and crushed her mouth back against the other slayer's lips. Gradually, as their kiss deepened, Buffy's fingers seamlessly entwined themselves into Faith's hair. Tugging as she balled her hand into a fist, Buffy's other hand journeyed its way down the dark slayer's shirt to simply clutch onto her lower abs.

The Boston woman easily lost herself to the urgency of Buffy's crushing embrace and the touch that toyed over her thin shirt. She felt the blonde woman's nails carve their path directly to her shoulders and rake down her back. Faith's eyes rolled and she released a lengthy moan into Buffy's mouth. Buffy's tongue darted between the dark slayer's generous lips, relishing the softness that surrounded her. She slid her tongue along Faith's own and sucked Faith's tongue back into her mouth. When the blonde's eager hands slid up the front of Faith's tank top, hot fingers burning her flesh, Faith grabbed onto Buffy's wrists and pulled away.

Everything was moving too fast. Faith closed her eyes and shook her head. The room spun from the alcohol and Buffy's desperate kisses. Yet, despite the reeling thoughts that clouded her mind, the Boston girl managed to deftly unfasten the remaining buttons on Buffy's cardigan. She pushed the thin sweater off Buffy's defined shoulders. But instead of helping the blonde shed the garment entirely, Faith let the sweater remain gathered at Buffy's elbows, effectively locking her arms at her sides.

A look of irritation passed over Buffy's angelic features. Faith leaned in and once again suckled at her neck and exposed collarbone, forcing the Chosen One to momentarily forget her annoyance at being unable to move her arms.

Faith moved closer on the bed, still sitting up on her knees. Her hands found their way to the bottom hem of Buffy's form-fitting tank top. The material was soft against her fingers and with little effort, she slid her hands beneath the fabric, her palms feeling the radiating heat of the smaller slayer's body. Faith ducked her head and nuzzled her nose into the hard bone of Buffy's collarbone where shoulder meets ribcage. Her breath was hot and wet against the other slayer's bare skin. Buffy's head fell to the side and she sighed, content to let the brunette set the pace.

Removing her hands momentarily, Faith pulled off her own tank top, revealing her naked torso. Her olive-toned fleshed looked darker in the room only lit by the dull glow of the television in the background. Her breasts stood high on her chest, and dramatically rose and fell with each labored breath. Buffy subconsciously ran her tongue across her lower lip as she took in the sight of dusky rose nipples that begged for attention.

Faith dipped her head to once again kiss the smaller slayer. Their tongues battled for dominance, Buffy urging the dark slayer, pulling out a passion that the Bostonian had buried away. The Californian, still unable to move her arms fully, reached out with her fingers. The tips of her fingers brushed along Faith's waistline, touching the top of her jeans and the exposed skin just above the material. The blonde quickly allowed for her thumb to fall below the hem of the jeans and dug her nail into the sensitive dip below the Boston native's hip.

Taking the cue, Faith pushed the blonde's sweater off her arms completely, finally releasing the Chosen One's limbs. Buffy's hands immediately went to the front of Faith's jeans. She popped open the button and quickly unzipped the pants. She roughly tugged the brunette's tight jeans down her hips, down to her knees. Awkwardly, Faith's attempt of standing up amounted to failure as her pants were tightly held in place by her sister-Slayer. With her grip held sturdy and a free hand to explore the mystery before her, it was time the Chosen One had her moment of payback for her earlier limitations.

She quickly pulled Faith closer and captured her mouth once again. Releasing her grip from the thick material, Buffy effortlessly slid her hand around Faith's leg to brace the back of the raven-haired woman's thigh. With each attempt the younger slayer made to gain back control, Buffy's nails dug deeper to break her will. The Boston slayer tensed herself against the rousing grasp and melted the instant she felt her sister-Slayer's finger skate over her clit through dampened underwear. Incapable of taking the teasing that followed, Faith pulled her strength together and was able to free herself of Buffy's loosened hold. Sliding off of the bed, she jerked her jeans off the rest of the way before returning to her original position, kneeling in front of Buffy in only a pair of dark blue boi shorts.

Faith's fingers once again went to the bottom hem of the blonde slayer's camisole and she pulled the silken material up her flat stomach, over the swell of her breasts, and up over her head. Buffy bit on her bottom lip, anxious to be in front of the other woman in her bra even though Faith wore only her underwear.

A small smile played at the corner of Faith's mouth. She pulled the other slayer in with her hands at the small of her back. She slid her fingers under the taut shoulder straps of Buffy's practical cotton bra and slipped them off her rounded shoulders. Faith dipped her head to kiss the soft, pliable flesh that peaked over the demi-cups. Buffy's skin was warm beneath her lips and slightly flushed with an attractive pink blush.

Faith reached behind Buffy's body and fumbled briefly with the back clasp of the blonde's bra strap before unfastening the garment. Without the straps to hold it up, the bra fell away from Buffy's body and onto the mattress between them. Faith's gaze went immediately to the elder slayer's exposed breasts.

She grabbed onto the other woman's wrists, almost sensing the Californian's need to cover herself. Holding Buffy's arms at her sides, Faith kissed her sister-Slayer again. The Boston-born woman pressed her full mouth against Buffy's soft lips. Faith murmured her approval against the small slayer's mouth.

Faith playfully nipped at the elder slayer's mouth before turning her attention to the Chosen One's naked breasts. She hefted the slight weight in both hands, feeling Buffy's hard nipples brush against her palms. She squeezed the tender flesh and kissed and licked along the Californian's jutting collarbone.

Curving her back, she dipped her head lower to kiss the tops of Buffy's naked breasts. With each playfully kiss, the blonde could feel an underlying throb that torturously burned her sex. Faith traced thin lines along the sensitive skin with the tip of her tongue before wrapping her lips around a hardened nipple. Buffy breathed in sharply and stroked her fingers along the base of Faith's neck encouragingly as the brunette suckled one nipple while pinching and tweaking the other with her fingers.

She slipped the tip of the nipple between two fingers and skillfully rubbed it with a third. Faith stroked and pulled on Buffy's left nipple while her tongue caressed the right. Buffy made a noise in the back of her throat. The twin sensation of gentle and rough toyed with her arousal, a throb seemingly escalating its presence within her core as fresh waves of stimulation flowed through her.

The Boston slayer moved her mouth away from Buffy's naked breasts and righted herself once again. She put her hand behind Buffy's neck, supporting her head, and helped the blonde lay back on the mattress. Her fingers went to the top of Buffy's waistline. With her jeans already unfastened, Buffy lifted her hips off the mattress and helped the dark slayer remove her pants. She lay back flat on the bed wearing only her cotton underwear. Impatiently, Faith placed a hand on the inside of Buffy's thighs and roughly pulled her legs apart. A small gasp of surprise fell out from Buffy's parted lips. A predatory smile crossed the brunette's dark features.

The brunette slayer leaned down and pressed her open mouth against the material that covered Buffy's sex. As if French-kissing the elder slayer's pussy, covered Buffy's sex with her mouth while her tongue flicked and rubbed against Buffy's clit. The cotton material quickly became saturated from Buffy's arousal, Faith's tongue, and the warm condensed air of the brunette's breath. The damp garment rubbed against Buffy's sensitive swelling clit, pulling ragged tortured moans from the Chosen One's throat.

Reluctantly, the younger slayer pulled away from the addictive scent and taste of Buffy's core. She grinned down at the woman practically squirming on the mattress from frustration. Faith hooked her fingers beneath the elastic waistband of Buffy's underwear. Her nails scratched against Buffy's hipbones. She pulled the garment down her hips, across her sex, and down her legs, rendering the elder slayer completely unclothed. She took the time to stand, this time at the foot of the bed, and she slowly lowered her own underwear so that both she and Buffy were entirely naked.

Faith climbed on top of the other slayer, Buffy's naked body like a lifeboat in a tumultuous ocean. The Boston woman entwined her long legs with Buffy's, locking ankles, wrapping around her like ivy grasping a tree. Faith buried her face against Buffy's clavicle, not looking at the other woman's face. She could smell the slight salt of her sweat and her arousal.

Faith grasped at the blonde's thin, muscled arms. She ran her warm palms up and down Buffy's limbs, feeling the restrained strength that lay dormant. The brunette lifted her head slightly to Buffy's neck and licked at her skin, tasting her salty sweat. The slayers' breasts pressed against each other's torsos, hardened nipples sensitive to the touch.

Faith's knee dipped between Buffy's legs and she nudged the inside of the blonde's thighs, causing the smaller woman to move her legs further apart. The Boston woman gripped the wooden slats of the motel bed's headboard and, just using her arm strength, pulled her body up the Chosen One's naked figure.

Buffy groaned, feeling Faith's pussy slide against her own naked flesh. The Boston woman's arms flexed again and she pushed against the wooden frame, lowering her body back down Buffy's form. Her wet sex dragged along Buffy's bare skin. The blonde slayer gasped when she felt Faith's clit rub along her pussy lips.

Faith grit her back teeth and her face looked lost to both pain and pleasure. Letting go of the headboard with one hand, she slid her freed hand between their sweating bodies. A thin layer of sweat had accumulated, causing their bodies to slide against each other more fluidly. Faith's fingers snaked down to the apex of her sex. She parted her pussy lips with two fingers and deliberately, slowly, ran her clit the length of Buffy's wet slit. Buffy whimpered, wanting to feel more, but not having the words or the language with which to ask.

The gliding sensation repeated itself at a rhythmic pace causing both women's clits to become more swollen with each driving motion. As the pace quickened and hardened, so did the slayers' need to release the amounting pressures from inside. Taking grip of the loosened bed sheets beneath them, Faith took one last lengthy glide against Buffy's sex. Shivers shot down their sweat drenched frames as they steadied their ragged breath.

Faith hovered over the elder slayer's naked body. She slowly moved down Buffy's body, placing warm kisses and shallow bites as she traveled closer to the blonde's shaved pussy. She paused to lick along the dips of Buffy's femininely defined abdomen. Buffy's muscles clenched and quivered as Faith lazily ran her tongue along her soft flesh.

Positioned between Buffy's splayed thighs, Faith dipped a single finger between the elder slayer's pussy lips and felt her eager arousal already wet and thick amongst the soft folds; the urge to plunge her fingers deep into the inviting sex was a temptation that nearly broke her restraints. Instead, she opted to slowly trace her fingertips along the warm, soft flesh of Buffy's outer lips and have the tip of her middle finger rake over the Chosen One's protruding clit.

Faith placed two fingers at the edge of the Californian's seeping hole. She moved her digits clockwise, pulling more thick arousal from the blonde. Buffy slid her hands up the cotton sheets toward the headboard. She grabbed onto the wooden slats. Faith pushed forward slightly until her fingers were inside Buffy up to the first knuckle.

The Boston woman bit her lower lip. This feeling was something no one, no matter how talented, could replicate. She pushed forward again, filling Buffy to the second knuckle. She felt the other slayer's tightness shifting to accommodate her, warm and wet. She pulled her fingers almost completely out of the other slayer's warm sex before pushing her two digits back in. Faith flexed her forearm causing her two fingers to thrust deeper into her sister-Slayer's hot core. Buffy's back arched off the mattress and Faith placed her left hand on the smaller woman's abdomen to keep her from catapulting off the bed.

The Boston woman moved between the elder slayer's thighs, remaining in the kneeling position with her legs folded beneath her, all while keeping her fingers buried in the Chosen One's clenching sex. With her free hand, she collected Buffy, and wrapped a single arm around the smaller woman's lithe waist. Faith pulled the lithe girl into a seated position, and Buffy rested her slight weight on the front of the Boston slayer's upper thighs.

Buffy's head fell forward and her eyes closed. She blocked out the murmur of the television in the background and concentrated on only the feeling of Faith's tapered digits, which continued to slide in and out of her at a rapid pace. Her breath hitched every time the brunette bottomed out. Her stomach tightened. She clutched at the brunette's thinly muscled shoulders. She yelled out, muffling her cries with Faith's shoulder, finally giving in to the climax that had evaded her until now.

The Californian ground her sex down into Faith's hand, riding out the waves of her orgasm. Faith whimpered, feeling Buffy's sex clutch and tighten around her two fingers. Buffy rolled her hips, moving in time with the brunette slayer's thrusting. The blonde grabbed onto Faith's shoulders, stabilizing herself. No longer needing to hold onto the other slayer, Faith's second hand reached between their sweating bodies to rub across the Chosen One's sensitive clit.

As her second orgasm racked her body, Buffy bit down hard, her teeth cutting into the salted skin of Faith's right shoulder. A cold shudder shot through Faith as she kept her rhythm to extend the orgasm for as long as she could. As the slender blonde bucked beneath her for another time, Faith could feel the consecutive wave of pleasure causing the inner walls to tighten around her digits. It was only when the blonde beneath her lax her body and sunk back into the bed that the Boston-born woman reluctantly removed herself from her companion's soaked core.

_Suggested Listening: Adele "Rolling in the Deep"_

Faith stared into Buffy's lightly lidded eyes. The hazel irises and with their flecks of green seemed to taunt her. She'd stared into those eyes so many times before, just like this. Only, every other time it hadn't actually been Buffy.

The dark slayer rolled off of Buffy and moved away from her on the mattress. Faith turned her back to the blonde and pulled the thin cotton sheets around her naked body.

Buffy lay on the bed for a moment, staring at the ceiling. The room was nearly silent and the sound of her heart pulsing in her chest filled her ears with a rhythmic lull. Finally, without a word, she pulled herself out of bed and began to pull on her discarded clothes cast around the room.

The blonde opened the motel room and hesitated at the opening. She paused her exit and looked back at the other slayer who continued to lie in bed, her body curled in a tight ball, her back facing the door.

Buffy spoke for the first time since entering the dingy motel room: "Goodbye, Faith," the Chosen One murmured.

The force of the door closing caused the Boston woman to shudder along the entire length of her naked body.

Buffy walked out into the San Francisco evening. She looked up at the darkened sky and watched as an airplane readied itself for landing. Her boots crunched in the parking lot as she made her way to the compact car she'd borrowed from Xander. She fumbled briefly as she tried to unlock the driver's side door. The ring of keys slipped from her fingers and fell onto the ground with a noisy jangle.

Buffy immediately bent to pick up her keys and a sob caught in the back of her throat. Righting herself, she held her body upright with a single hand braced on the hood of the small car. Buffy bit back a second body-racking sob. She breathed in deeply, wiped at her eyes, and successfully let herself into Xander's car.

Through the thin motel walls, Faith could hear the engine of Buffy's car start and the crunching of tires on gravel as she drove away. The dark slayer didn't bother to wipe away her tears. They slid down her face, large and salty, staining the pillowcase with her grief.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

Buffy silently unlocked the front door to the apartment that she shared with her sister and her longtime friend. After a long and confusing day and evening, all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep forever, but she knew if she alerted either of her two roommates, she'd never be able to escape to the uncomfort of her futon.

The slender blonde slipped out of her shoes and bent to carefully set them in a neat row next to the other shoes in the front foyer.

"Buffy?"

The Chosen One cringed when she heard her sister's voice calling her from the living room. She righted herself and made her way towards the front room to find Dawn sitting by herself in the dark.

"Where have you been?" the youngest Summers girl questioned as Buffy entered the room.

"I was out…doing errands," Buffy half-lied. She _had _been doing errands until she'd run into Kate. "Why are you sitting in the dark?" She turned on a table lamp and the room filled with light. It took a brief moment for both of the Summers girls' eyes to adjust to the flood of brightness.

"Dawnie?" Buffy exclaimed when she saw her sister's face. Her cheeks were flushed and tear-stained and her eyes bloodshot. "What's wrong?"

The younger sister could no longer find the strength to voice the words that she needed to say. Instead, tears poured from her redden eyes once more. In an instant, Buffy took a few swift strides to kneel in front of her sister in an attempt to get her to calm down. Firmly holding onto her sister's face, Buffy guided Dawn's distorted gaze to look at her own face.

"Dawn, you're starting to scare me," Buffy said in a worried voice. "What's going on?" Looking around the still apartment, the blonde slayer could tell that no one else was in their rented home. "Is it _Xander_? Where is he?"

With no real response but an inaudible mumble, the elder sister couldn't retain her panic any more. "Tell me what happened or I can't help."

"It's Willow," Dawn said, her voice dull and flat.

"What's Willow?" Buffy asked, confused.

"She's gone. Simone has her."

The slayer's heavy boots thudded hollowly as she walked along the elevated catwalk in the maximum prison-turned-tourist attraction. She surveyed the bustling activity for which she was responsible. Her slayer army busied themselves with the task of moving into the cellblock and converting the former prison into a more comfortable living space.

She'd promised the girls that it was only temporary – each was assigned their own cell, unlocked of course. And with its three levels of jail cells in the main barracks, there was ample room for more slayers to be recruited to her Cause. When her plan was fulfilled, she told them, they would have their run of the world. The momentary sacrifice in living conditions would be well repaid, she assured them.

The pink-mohawked woman turned a corner and made her way down a hallway towards a more secluded part of the former prison. Simone, the self-appointed leader, had set up shop in cellblock D, the area of the former jail where prisoners had suffered solitary confinement. She purposely chose the segregated area because Generals don't sleep in the same space as their soldiers. There was a hierarchy that needed to be respected. And they certainly didn't sleep _with _them either.

Buffy had made that mistake when she'd entered into her brief relationship with Satsu. It was just one of the many missteps Simone felt the Chosen One had made during her destructive fight against Twilight and the United States military. Having sex with the enemy, Angel, had been yet another selfish and shortsighted action. Buffy Summers had been the Fates' chosen champion for far too long, and Simone saw it as her duty to topple the queen slayer from her pedestal.

The physical distance not only served the purpose of hierarchy, but also offered Simone some privacy from the other temporary inmates. She didn't need her slayer soldiers privy to every detail of her plan. All they needed to know – all they wanted to know – was that the traitor, Buffy Summers, would be punished.

Alcatraz Island was the perfect location for her master plan. Although the prison had been converted into a museum many years ago, the walls were just as solid and impenetrable as they'd been during its prime.

Taking over the high-profile jail had been ridiculously effortless. It took just a few phone calls to staff members saying the museum was being fumigated for employees to stay home. Tourists flooded the island during the peak hours of the day and left each evening before sunset. But with only one safe landing point around the entire island, it was easy to make sure tourists didn't wander the quarter of a mile hike uphill to reach the prison. The tour boats launched from Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 33 weren't associated with the prison museum itself. Carefully staged signs that the prison museum was closed for renovations kept unwanted tourists from the prison grounds. For now, Simone was content to let the unassuming visitors wander around the island and take pictures of the local flaura and fauna.

Slayers rotated shifts at every vantage point the island provided – the guard tower at the dock, the lighthouse towering over the cellblock, and the water tower. No one would gain purchase of the island without them knowing. With no magic left in their dimension, Simone didn't have to worry about witches flying on brooms or invisible slayers. Whether by boat or airplane, she and her slayer army would be prepared whatever way Buffy would try to attack.

And she knew it wasn't a matter of _if _Buffy would attack; only _when. _Simone knew too-well that Buffy Summers wouldn't sit idly when she knew the rogue slayer had her best friend. In fact, she was counting on it. It was all part of her plan.

Simone knocked on the cell door of a currently occupied room. Her knuckles banged hollowly on the metal bars. The olive-complexioned woman in the cell looked up at the sound.

"You getting settled in alright?" Simone asked the other slayer. She leaned against the door jam and watched the young Asian woman unpack her things.

Satsu wordlessly nodded. She untied a thin mattress pad, and it unrolled across the top of her military-issue cot. Killing General Voll had provided Simone with not only the revenge she sought for the death of hundreds of young slayers, but also gave her unlimited access to government supplies.

"What about the witch? Is she…comfortable?" Simone posed.

"She's down the hallway," Satsu replied. "Your girls tied her to a chair, so I don't know how long she'll stay comfortable."

Simone shrugged cavalierly. "I'll drop in on her soon enough. I only ask that you don't pop in for a visit with her once she's finally wakes back up. It might make things more complicated than necessary."

"I still don't understand why you kidnapped her," Satsu noted in a quiet tone. "Buffy's going to know it's you, and she'll attack with everything she's got to get her friend back."

"We'll be ready," Simone stated vaguely. "I'm just glad that you took me up on my offer."

The Asian slayer worked the muscles in her jaw. "Yeah. It's been a long time coming."

Simone laid a hand on Satsu's right shoulder. She felt the young slayer's muscles twitch under her palm. "I know we have different motivations for getting back at Buffy, but we're on the same side," she reassured her new recruit. "We have the same goal."

Satsu subtly shrugged away from the pink-haired slayer. "I don't care about taking over the world or whatever you have planned," she informed the rogue leader. "I'm just here because of what's being offered on a silver platter…Buffy Summers."

Buffy sat down next to her distraught sister. "How do you know she's gone?"

"I stopped by her apartment tonight after class to check in on her like I said I would," Dawn started. "When I got there, the front door was open and Willow was gone." She sniffled and choked back a sob. "And…I found this napkin on the coffee table next to an extremely gross TV dinner."

In an attempt to calm her younger sister, Buffy stroked the brunette's hair.

"I mean... it was really gross," Dawn said wetly. "The thing was all fuzzy. And green. And rancid."

"That could only mean two things. One, Willow has become radically unsanitary in her lifestyle choices," Buffy asserted. "Or two, she's been gone for a couple days now..." Silently the blonde cursed herself for not stopping by the apartment sooner.

Without thought, the young brunette began to wipe the tears away with the napkin in hand.

Buffy quickly gripped her sister's hand from continuing the act. "Let's not destroy the evidence there," she gently coaxed.

At the realization of what she was doing, Dawn hastily handed her the white napkin. Scrawled on the napkin, in what looked to be red lipstick, were three words: "Got your witch."

"Why would she take Willow and then leave that note behind?" Dawn miserably wondered aloud.

"She's taunting me," the blonde steamed. She gnashed her back teeth and crumpled the note up in her clenched fist. "She wants me to come find her."

"It's a trap," her sister noted.

"I know it is," Buffy confirmed. The Chosen One stood up abruptly.

"What are we going to do?" Dawn questioned, looking after her sister. "She's got numbers on her side," she unnecessarily pointed out.

"Maybe," the blonde thought aloud.

"What if you assembled your own army?" Dawn suggested. "Without magic, it's just going to be brawn against brawn. I'm sure we could find enough girl-power to take down Simone and the others."

The golden-haired slayer shook her head. "Simone's been preparing for this. She _wants _a Slayer war. I won't risk more girls' lives."

"They're going to have to choose at some point, Buffy," the brunette co-ed pointed out. "The rest of the Slayers have to decide if they're going to follow you or Simone."

"Or some other demagogue who steps in to take Simone's place," the California slayer noted grimly. Nothing guaranteed that putting Simone down would end the slayer rebellion.

"So what do we do?" Dawn pressed once again.

"I'm still working on that." Buffy walked to a window and stared out at the night sky. "But if it's a fight Simone wants, then it's a fight she's going to get." The blonde turned away from the glass pane, suddenly remembering. "Where's Xander?"

Dawn's red-rimmed eyes widened. "Oh shit."

Willow opened her eyes to find herself tied to a chair in an empty, dark room. The former Wicca wiggled her hands, each bound to one of the chair's arms, but the ties around her wrists were clearly intended for her to remain attached to the furniture.

She squinted her eyes and tried to make out her surroundings. Without any light besides the pale moonlight spilling through a small, barred window, she couldn't gain her bearings very well. The air was damp and humid and outside her cell she could faintly hear the crashing of waves on a shoreline and the screeching call of scavenging birds. What she couldn't hear, however, was Simone and the rest of her slayer groupies.

She knew Simone had brought her to Alcatraz Island along with a handful of other rogue slayers. She had been right about the mohawked slayer wanting to take over the former federal prison, but she wasn't in the mood to congratulate herself. She had no idea why Simone needed the fortress island or why she had kidnapped her in the first place.

Willow snapped to attention when she heard the undeniable sound of someone unlocking her solid cell door. The metal door screeched against its hinges as it opened into the room.

The overhead light was turned on and the redhead winced, her eyes sensitive from sitting in darkness for so long.

"Morning sunshine."

Willow glared defiantly, without fear, at the woman responsible for her current captivity. "What do you want with me?" she demanded.

Simone pulled a chair up next to her captive. The four legs screeched against the concrete floor. "You've got something I need, Red," she explained as she sat down.

"Me?" Willow questioned. "I don't have anything," she insisted. "Maybe you didn't notice," she spit out bitterly, " but I'm not exactly an all-powerful Wicca anymore."

"Don't need magic," the rogue slayer said simply. "I need your brain."

Willow stiffened at the words. "I happen to like it where it is…You know, in my head."

"What?" Simone's eyes widened. "No. I don't mean_ literally_ take your brain."

Releasing a light sigh, the Wiccan relaxed herself in the chair she was stuck to. For a split second her rush of courage had faltered at the fear of death. "Well that's good to hear."

"I need your knowledge, genius." Briefly turning head, Simone quietly mumbled to herself. "At least I thought you were a genius..." Returning her focus once more to her bound captive, Simone stared straight into Willow's eyes. "Rumor has it you were quite the chemistry nerd back in the day – part of the reason magic came so natural to you in the beginning."

Willow swallowed hard. "Y-yes," she affirmed hesitantly. "What about it?"

Simone licked her lips and leaned closer to the former witch. "Does the word 'Cruciamentum' mean anything to you?"

"No," the red-haired witch lied. Her voice cracked. "Is it a flower? It sounds pretty."

Simone smirked and leaned back in the chair. "You might all think I'm some unwashed, unpolished cretin, but I've read all the Watchers' Diaries. And I know that on the Slayer's 18th birthday, her Watcher is supposed to administer a drug that makes her momentarily weak. You're going to replicate that chemical for me."

"But Giles said it was just muscle relaxants and adrenalin suppressants," Willow noted, still not understanding her role.

A cool smile crossed Simone's features. "Maybe so. But you've got a big 'ol brain, Willow. And you're gonna use it to make a _permanent_ power suck. I killed a General and got his military access," she said boastfully. "You'd be amazed at the scientific resources I can get my hands on now. I figure I can steal whatever nerdy chemistry set you'll need to make what I want."

"But I thought your evil plan was to kill Buffy," the former witch naively asked.

"You're thinking too small, Red," the other woman chuckled. "I don't care if Buffy Summers lives or dies. She's an awfully annoying chick," she noted, "but the only thing that matters to me is _power_. And when I'm the only slayer," she gloated, "I'll have all the power, and they won't. None of them. The Slayer line will finally be restored to what it once was… but this time it will be in the right hands."

"The _only _slayer?" Willow looked at her kidnapper with confusion. "Then why are you building yourself a Slayer Army?"

The pink-haired woman smiled smugly. "They're not an army, my dear witch," she stated, her eyes glittering. "They're _test subjects._"

Buffy's right leg anxiously jerked up and down as she sat in the passenger side of Xander's car. "Can't you drive any faster, Dawn?" she urged her sister.

Dawn's dark eyes narrowed. "Not if you like being alive," she remarked.

Buffy's body heaved in a sigh. "That's currently debatable." Her younger sister shot her a glare. "Sorry," the blonde apologized, shirking from her sister's Evil Eye. "Wrong time to be complaining, I know."

Dawn slammed her hand against the steering wheel in frustration. "Why isn't he answering his phone?" she complained in frustration. "He told me he was coming straight home from work."

"Was that before or after you called to tell him Willow had been kidnapped?" Buffy questioned, not unkindly.

"I didn't think he'd…he'd actually _do _anything about it though," the brunette Summers woman frowned. She perceptively speed up, passing a few lost tourists. "He was supposed to come back to the apartment, and we were going to wait for you together."

Buffy laid her hand on her sister's knee. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Dawnie," she said gently. "It's very un-Xander-like behavior. Maybe he's not even out looking for her. Maybe he got hungry and stopped to get something to eat," she proposed. "It wouldn't be the first time a donut distracted him."

"Are you calling my boyfriend fat?" Dawn quipped. She pulled the vehicle into the parking structure located across the avenue from Fisherman's Wharf and took the first parking spot she found.

Buffy deftly unfastened her seatbelt and grinned at her younger sister, Willow's kidnapping and Xander's absence momentarily forgotten.

The two Summers women exited the car and crossed the busy intersection.

"Even if he's here," Dawn wondered aloud as she gazed out at the crowds gathered at the San Francisco pier, "how are we gonna find him?"

"We check out Simone's warehouse first and then go from there," Buffy noted. She looked warily at her sister. "I don't suppose I can convince you to stay in the car or go back to the apartment?" she tried weakly.

Dawn set her mouth in a straight line. "You've got to be kidding me."

The blonde grimaced. "Yeah, I didn't think so." Buffy scanned the vast sea of faces at the tourist location and felt momentarily overwhelmed. "Keep calling his phone," she suggested to her sister. "If he hasn't turned the ringer off, maybe we'll hear him."

"How are we going to hear one phone in all of this?" Dawn asked, her arms outstretched.

"Just do it, Dawn," her sister commanded. "It's either that or one of us quickly develops a sixth sense for honing in on where your significant other is."

"Fine," Dawn huffed. She pulled her phone out of her purse and redialed her boyfriend's number.

The two women paused, standing quietly, and straining their ears. Buffy was the first to break the silence: "What's his ring-tone, anyway?" she asked sheepishly.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Brilliant plan, Slayer," she scoffed. "It's that Spice Girl's song, 'Wannabe.'"

"Why does _Xander _have_ that_ as his ring-tone?" the California slayer posed, quirking an eyebrow.

Dawn grinned mischievously. "I changed it on him and he can't figure out how to turn it back."

Buffy shook her head and chuckled. "Remind me not to get on your bad side. C'mon," she urged, nodding in the direction of the shoreline. "Simone's not-so-secret headquarters is just over there."

Keeping on the look-out for either Xander or Simone, Buffy and Dawn bypassed a string of designer candy stores and t-shirt shops hugging the San Francisco Bay. Luckily the building Simone had taken over was in a more secluded part of the pier so Buffy could avoid the suspicious gaze of nosey tourists.

"I'm going up there," Buffy stated, pointing to a stack of wooden crates leaning against the brick façade. "You stay down here and be the lookout." Without waiting for Dawn's acquiesce, the blonde scrambled to the top of a stack of wooden crates.

"Do you see anything?" Dawn hissed from below.

The Chosen One wiped a clean spot on the dingy glass pane to look into the building. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she looked inside. The warehouse was completely empty.

"He's not in there," Buffy called down to her sister. She nimbly jumped down the tall stack of boxes. "No one's in there," she added, wiping her dirty hands on the back of her jeans. "It looks like Simone relocated."

The brunette's eyes widened in alarm. "So now we've lost Xander _and _Willow?" Dawn bemoaned. "At least before we thought we knew where she was."

Buffy's shoulders heaved, feeling discouraged. "We should split up and cover more ground," she suggested. "Keep calling Xander's phone and keep listening for that ring-tone," she told her sister. "I'll meet you back at the car in half an hour to check in, okay?"

Dawn sucked in a deep breath and nodded.

Before the two parted to go their separate ways, Buffy grabbed her sister's hands. "We're going to find him. We're going to find _both_ of them," she promised, looking hard into Dawn's dark eyes. "And remember, Xander's probably not even here. He's at Dunkin Donuts," she weakly joked.

Dawn swallowed hard and gave her older sister a brave smile. "Ok… My boyfriend is chubby and is at a Donut Shop." The brunette quietly muttered the words to herself as if she would forget.

"Once again," Buffy pointed out, "I didn't say anything about weight."

"Yeah, I know. But he's getting a little rounder…" Dawn said wistfully. "Don't tell him I said that though."

With a weak smile and a slight nod of understanding, the elder Summers sister watched her sister turn around.

"Hey, Dawnie," Buffy interjected as her sister started to walk away, "if you see Simone, don't let her see you. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, too."

Buffy wandered around Fisherman's Wharf, feeling out of sorts. She tried to wrap her brain around the reality that Xander was MIA and Willow had been kidnapped. Ever since the Sunnydale Hellmouth had collapsed and they'd defeated The First, every day had been a new uncertain adventure. As long as Xander and Willow were around, however, Buffy had always felt like things would somehow work out. But now her Watcher was dead and her two closest friends – her stability – were missing.

At least with all of the recent chaos, she had little time to think about what had gone down between she and Faith that afternoon. But even a _little_ time to dwell was too much.

Buffy stopped in her tracks when she heard the faint strains of the Spice Girls. The crowds parted, and she was afforded a view of a brown-haired man seated by himself on a park bench. His head was in his hands, but Buffy knew him even in the dark – it was Xander.

The Chosen One quickly maneuvered around groups of people and strings of hand-holding families. As she narrowed the distance between herself and the dark-haired man, she could see his slumped shoulders slightly shaking beneath his light jacket.

"Xander?"

The one-eyed man looked up at the sound of his name. "Buffy?" He dropped his head back into his hands and his shoulders shook harder.

The blonde woman stepped closer to the man. "Xand…what are you doing?" she said quietly.

"I couldn't do it," he mumbled miserably through his cupped hands.

"Couldn't do what?" Buffy carefully sat down next to her friend as if scared any sudden movement would send him running away.

"I-I came here to get her back," Xander sobbed. "But I couldn't go through with it. I got this close…and…"

"… You got smart, thought about what it would do to Dawn if she lost you," Buffy finished for him in a strong voice. "And you stopped before you did something selfish."

Xander shook his head. "Wish it was that Buff," he said in a bitter tone. "I honestly wish I could say that that was the reason why I'm here and not over there saving Will. It's just— I'm useless, Buffy. I've always been useless to you guys."

Buffy quirked an eyebrow at her despondent friend. "Remember that one time when you saved the world?"

"No yellow crayon is going to get her back," Xander said dully.

"_We're_ going to get her back, Xand," Buffy insisted. "You, me, Dawn, and…" she trailed off.

"Yeah…we're not much of a super-Scooby force anymore," the carpenter noted glumly.

Buffy wrapped her arm around her good friend's shoulder and pulled the sniffling man close. "We're going to get her back."

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

Buffy took a number of calming deep breaths as she stood in front of the brunette's motel room. As much as she wanted to avoid her sister-Slayer for the rest of her life, she didn't have the privilege of ignoring Faith at the moment. Her allies were few and her enemy's numbers rapidly building. She raised a closed fist and briskly rapped on the motel door.

"Are you blind?" came a muffled, yet annoyed voice from inside the motel. "The 'Do-Not-Disturb' sign is up. For the millionth time, I don't need fresh towels."

Buffy frowned and knocked on the door again, this time harder.

The door immediately swung open and an angry Faith stood in the doorway. "_I said…"_she snarled before she recognized the blonde slayer.

"Oh. Sorry. I…I didn't expect to see you again," she said, her eyes dropping to the ground and the anger draining from her strained face.

"I wasn't planning on coming over," Buffy admitted stiffly.

Faith hovered anxiously in the doorway. "Then why…"

The blonde swallowed hard. "It's a business visit."

Faith walked away from the door, back into the motel room. "Come in," she said simply.

Buffy entered the room, slightly cleaner than the last time she'd seen it, and closed the door behind her. "Where's…" she trailed off and looked around the room.

Faith raised both eyebrows, her features looking tired. "Kate?" she asked. She sat down at the end of the mattress and turned off the television.

The Chosen One's hazel-green eyes flickered around the room. "Um, yeah."

"Gone. I haven't seen her in a few days, actually," Faith admitted without much emotion. "Her stuff is gone, too. I shouldn't be surprised though after all the shit I put her through."

"I'm sorry." The words surprised Buffy as soon as they tumbled out of her mouth. Faith's features displayed her surprise as well.

"Don't be," the brunette muttered. "At least I know she's still alive."

"How?" Buffy questioned. "You two develop some kind of pseudo-slayer bond now?" The bitterness was apparent in the Chosen One's voice.

Faith shook her head, not able to meet Buffy's icy glare. "No. Just good ol' credit card usage."

"Oh." Buffy hovered anxiously near the doorway, unsure of what to do with her hands. She shoved them in her back pockets in lieu of something to do.

"Yeah, don't you worry about Kate tapping into our precious slayer tether," Faith mumbled.

The air, along with their words to each other, felt stale. An uncomfortable silence settled on the room.

"I'm actually kind of surprise that _you're _still around," the blonde noted uncomfortably. "I kind of thought you would have left by now."

"I came to help you take care of Simone," Faith said with a tired shrug. "It wouldn't feel right leaving without finishing the job, even if I fucked up again and you hate me."

"I don't…" Buffy stopped. She didn't have time to start fighting with Faith again. Not when her best friend's safety was in jeopardy. "This isn't productive," she sighed, feeling disgruntled. "We don't have time for this. Simone's got Willow."

The dark-haired woman's eyes widened. "What? How?"

Buffy grimaced. "From what I can tell, she basically just walked up to Will's apartment and took her against her will. Without magic," she said with a small frown, "Willow's basically defenseless."

"That's not your fault," Faith noted.

"Kind of is," Buffy said. "I destroyed the seed."

"But you had no choice," the brunette pointed out. "You had to in order to save the world."

"Because I had sex with Angel," Buffy countered. "And it almost destroyed the world."

Faith frowned. She knew once Buffy started playing the blame-game, there was no way of pulling her out of that dreary funk. "Still…" she tried again, "you didn't force Simone to kidnap Willow."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do," the blonde said, a ghost of a smile fluttering at the corners of her lips. "But I'm not here for an ego boost."

"Then why _are _you here, Buffy?" Faith asked. Seeing the blonde slayer at her door that evening was the last thing she'd expected. Not after their previous evening together.

"We don't have any leads," Buffy started in a businesslike tone. "Simone's abandoned her warehouse at Fisherman's Wharf, but I have a feeling she hasn't left the city. Or at least I'm hoping she hasn't," she added with a frown. "I mean, I'm still here and I doubt she'd go very far without my head on a stake."

"What do you need me to do?" the Bostonian offered.

"I'm going on patrol tonight to beat some information out of a few slayers connected to Simone. I can't risk getting ambushed by a group of rogue slayer-wannabes though. Will you come with me?"

Faith stood up, not needing Buffy to ask twice. At some point she knew they would have to talk about what had happened between them last night. But today wasn't that day.

She grabbed the leather jacket she'd broken down and bought due to San Francisco's chilly evenings. "Let's go," she told the blonde. She paused to grab her car keys beside the television. "But forget about driving. If I die, it sure as hell ain't gonna be because I'm in a car with you behind the wheel."

Willow chewed on her bottom lip as she carefully poured the translucent contents of a test tube into a larger chemistry beaker. As promised, Simone had set up a sophisticated laboratory in an adjacent solitary cell. The room was slightly larger than the cell where she slept, and as long as she pretended to work, she was no longer restrained to a chair.

She had no plans of helping Simone create a chemical drug that could take away slayers' powers. She didn't think it was possible, either. But Simone's obsessive personality suggested that Willow fake it until she could come up with a way to escape or get word to Buffy.

Willow looked up from her work when she heard the door of the makeshift laboratory unlock and screech open.

"How's it going, Red?" Simone cheerfully asked, entering the room. Two slayers Willow didn't recognize filed in after her.

"Slow," Willow noted. She frowned and looked down at the chemicals and containers on the counter in front of her.

"Far enough along for a little test?" the pink-haired woman eagerly asked. She rubbed her hands together and walked closer to assess the redhead's work.

The formerly powerful Wicca frowned. "No. Not even close. I'm not going to test this on innocent girls."

Simone's fist came down hard and fast, striking the countertop. Willow jumped along with her various beakers and test tubes. "You don't have a say in this," the rogue slayer declared. "I want a test batch by the end of the day."

"Science takes longer than magic," Willow told the other woman stubbornly. "I need time. I can't just throw together a few random ingredients and say some magical words and poof you have your drug."

Simone turned to the two nameless women with her. "You two can leave us," she said. "I want to talk to Ms. Rosenberg alone."

The other slayers hesitated momentarily and exchanged a look before leaving the witch and the rogue slayer behind.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Willow hissed. "You really think there's a chemical way to take away Slayer power."

"Don't doubt me, Witch," the slayer spat back. "You won't like the results."

"I know you won't hurt me," Willow stated defiantly. She lifted her chin. "Who else are you going to get to make this for you?"

Simone rolled her eyes. "Like I hadn't thought of that. Please, Willow. I'm not a novice at this whole Evil-Doer thing. You have a decision to make," she stated. "Either you work faster and I see results, or…"

Willow warily eyeballed the dangerous woman. "Or what?"

The mohawked woman smiled cruelly. "If I don't get a batch to test by the end of the day, I'll go after the people you love the most."

Willow's breath caught in her throat and her eyes subtly widened.

"If you thought I captured _you_ easily," Simone stated smugly, "just think how easily I could hurt your one-eyed carpenter friend."

The red-haired witch stiffened. "Leave Xander alone."

Simone smirked. "I see results and I'll leave your friends alone." She pursed her lips. "For now."

"How do you expect to keep what you're doing a secret from the other slayers?" Willow stubbornly demanded. "I could tell them what you're planning, and you'd have mutiny on your hands."

The rogue slayer snorted. "It's your word against mine, Red. They all think you're working on a drug to make them _stronger. _You should see the list of volunteers I already have," she chuckled.

"Why would they _volunteer _to be tested on?" Willow asked, horrified.

"No one is ever satisfied with what they've got," Simone pontified. "We all want something more, and Slayers always want more power."

Willow shook her head. "Buffy's not like that."

"Buffy's the reason you're weak," Simone pointed out angrily. "You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Buffy. Do you think she would have still destroyed the Seed of Wonder if she thought it would make her powerless as well?"

"She did it to save the world," the witch responded weakly.

"Maybe," Simone sing-songed. She turned away from the redhead and headed toward the exit. "I'll be back at the end of the day to check on your progress." She gave Willow one last, steely glance. "Just remember what I said."

Buffy deftly landed on the rooftop terrace of a San Francisco condominium. She crossed the top of the building and stood near the opposite edge. Gazing across the divide, she eyeballed the distance between where she currently stood and the next rooftop edge. The Chosen One released a noisy breath and looked up at the starry San Francisco sky. She momentarily missed her amped up super-powers. Just a short time ago she could fly and hop over buildings in a single bound; she hadn't needed to worry if a rooftop jump was too much for her to handle.

But her extra powers had come from leftover magic – residual power left behind by the hundreds of young slayers who had died at the hand of Twilight. With the death of each artificially chosen slayer, she had become exponentially stronger. And without that power, without their unnecessary deaths, she and Angel would never had created the world-ending Twilight dimension. Buffy knew all-too-well the damage caused by her impulsive actions with Angel.

Now with the Seed of Wonder, the origin of all magic, left shattered beneath the collapsed Sunnydale Hellmouth, her special abilities had returned to their normal slayer level. Buffy couldn't lift trains from their tracks or outrace a bullet anymore, but at least she no longer felt the immense guilt of knowing from where her extra power had come.

Buffy climbed on top of a short brick wall and leaped onto the top of the next building. Her feet landed soundly on the next grimy concrete roof, pulling up a small cloud of dust around her. The blonde slayer made a face. Rooftop patrolling was an efficient way to get around the city, but it was certainly dirty. Batman movies always made it look so glamorous, but in reality, no one ever thought to wash their roofs.

Faith landed beside her sister-Slayer, pulling another small dust cloud around their feet. The Boston girl wheezed as dirt snuck up her nostrils. "This is how you patrol?" she asked incredulously.

Buffy avoided looking at the other woman. "Yes," she said tensely. "It's harder than just walking around, but I avoid running into innocent people."

"Vampires don't come up here, do they?" the brunette questioned.

Buffy shook her head. "No. But I can observe them from the rooftops."

The Boston slayer chuckled. "Just like a superhero, eh?"

"Just like," Buffy frowned.

"So if Simone's moved her headquarters, how are we gonna find these rogue slayers?" Faith asked. She pulled her eyes away from Buffy's frowning features and scanned the darkened horizon.

"Normally they find _me_," the blonde admitted. "If we hop around and make enough noise though, I'm sure they'll find us soon enough."

Buffy readied herself for the next jump, but paused when she felt Faith's hand at her elbow.

"Buffy…" Faith started softly, her dark eyes searching Buffy's stubborn profile, "I'm…"

"Stop. I can't do this with you right now," Buffy said.

"But I just want to –,"

"I don't want to hear it, Faith," Buffy snapped, cutting the other slayer off. "I've told you a hundred times. You apologize to me and I will _beat_ you. To death."

Faith's shoulders crumbled. "And for the hundredth time, just tell me how to make it better," she said miserably.

"When we rescue Willow, we can talk about it," Buffy said curtly, her eyes scanning the nearest rooftops. "Right now, I just want to pretend like it didn't happen." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "We've got too much to worry about right now without diving into your perversions."

The Boston woman's face clouded over with anger at the blonde woman's harsh words. "I…" Faith bit her tongue.

Buffy held up a hand, silencing the dark-haired woman. "Did you hear that?"

The two slayers fell silent. The faint sound of scuffling and grunting alerted their senses.

Faith nodded toward in the direction from where the noises had come. "Sounds like we found our slayers. Lead the way, Boss."

Leaving Faith and their unresolved issues, Buffy hopped onto another rooftop terrace, wincing as her landing knocked over a heavy terra-cotta plant. Ignoring the damage as the sounds of violence and struggle rose from the street level, Buffy rushed down a rickety set of fire-escape stairs clinging to the side of the brick building. When she reached the ground, she was surprised to find a young brunette fighting against a gang of women.

Two women, probably slayers, already lay unconscious on the ground. Another two remained, fighting off a formable female opponent. Gravel crunched and the sounds of deflected punches and stifled grunts lifted into the air.

Faith hurried to Buffy's side, her body tense and ready to battle. "What's the sitch?" she asked, her eyes taking in the unfolding scene.

Buffy shrugged beside her sister-Slayer. "Looks like she's got this under control," she stated.

Another roundhouse kick to the jaw dropped a third slayer to the ground.

The brunette fighter flashed the Chosen Two a fierce smile. "Miss me, kids?" Without looking she elbowed the remaining rogue slayer in the face, no doubt breaking the woman's nose. The girl screamed out in pain and fell to the ground, joining the other unconscious slayers.

Buffy stared at the younger slayer with bewilderment. "Kennedy? What are you doing here? I thought you left town."

Kennedy nodded. "I did," she confirmed simply. She wiped her hands on the front of her jeans. "And I came back." She walked over the fallen bodies of the rogue slayer group and made her way closer to where Buffy and Faith stood. "Satsu called to tell me Willow had been kidnapped by Simone," Kennedy continued. "Willow might have broken up with me," she said, the cocky smile falling from her lips, "but that doesn't mean I don't still love her."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Wait…_Satsu _told you?"

Faith's features crunched together. "I thought Satsu was one of the Bad Guys?"

Kennedy looked at Faith as though noticing her for the first time. "Huh, looks like the Original Badass is back in black. Thought you were in England or something."

Buffy's bottom lip stuck out. "Hey…I'm just as badass."

The two brunette slayers shared a wordless, knowing look.

"_Anyway_," the blonde grunted. "Back to Satsu telling you Willow was kidnapped." She chewed on her lower lip. "We saw Simone and Satsu together just a few days ago. I thought they were working _together_."

Kennedy snorted. "Of course you would. You always jump to conclusions."

"In Buffy's defense," Faith piped up, "they were huggin' it out. Not exactly something you do with the enemy."

Kennedy's gaze flicked over to the blonde slayer. "Uh huh. No offense, but it seems _Buffy's_ kind of the expert at getting cozy with the Bad Guy."

Buffy made a frustrated noise. "Yes. Everything is my fault. If I could have kept it in my pants, none of this would have happened," she grunted, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'm pretty sure that's obvious by now. But let's not get distracted. Willow's in trouble, and I have no idea who to trust anymore."

Kennedy frowned. "Well you can trust _me_," she insisted. "I came back to_ rescue_ Willow, not get back at her or some crazy vendetta."

"And Satsu?" Buffy pressed impatiently.

"Simone contacted her when she started to assemble a bunch of slayers after you destroyed the Seed. She contacted me too, but I stayed out of it until now. Sats told me she was gonna check out what Simone was up to and then give you the heads up. She only got me involved when Simone kidnapped Willow."

Faith looked surprised. "Satsu's a double-agent? I thought that was supposed to be _my _job?"

Kennedy gave the other dark slayer a smug smile. "Jealous Satsu got there first?"

Faith glared at the younger woman, the double-tipped jibe not lost on her.

"What are you doing beating up the young ones?" Buffy asked, cocking her head to the side. She had to admit she was impressed that Kennedy had so handily knocked out four rogue slayers on her own without breaking much of a sweat.

Kennedy smirked at the other two slayers. "Probably same thing you're out here doing. Getting information about Simone and Willow."

Faith looked interested. "Find anything yet?"

"Didn't exactly have time to question too much in between the group ass-kicking and you two popping up," Kennedy noted.

They all looked down at the pile of unconscious bodies.

Kennedy quirked her head to one side, appraising the knocked-out slayers. "Maybe we should tie them up and splash some water on 'em to wake them up."

Faith smirked. "I think I'll take much more than a splash of water to wake them up."

Kennedy crouched down next to one of the girls.

"Search her," Buffy ordered. "All of them, actually. See if they have cell phones. Maybe Simone called and there's a number we could trace or something."

Kennedy looked up at the blonde slayer. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the resident geek who would do that kidnapped at the moment?"

Buffy frowned. "I'm just trying to get us onto sturdier ground. I'll find someone else to do the techy stuff… even if I have to beat someone into doing it for me."

Kennedy rummaged through the unconscious women's coat pockets. She pulled a cell phone and a stack of boat tickets to Alcatraz Island from one woman's jacket. "Are they doing a little sight-seeing?" the brunette questioned, staring at the thick pile of tickets.

The young slayer handed Buffy the cell phone with one hand and the tickets with the other. Buffy slipped the phone into her back pocket, momentarily dismissing it.

"Thought you wanted to go all FBI with that cell phone?" Kennedy questioned.

Buffy shook her head in disbelief. "Willow was right. I can't believe Simone actually did it."

The two brunettes looked at each other confused.

Buffy grimaced. She hated water. "We're gonna need a boat," she told the other slayers. "We're going to Alcatraz Island."

The tired Wiccan sighed as she stared at her cryptically written notepad of formulas. Wads of paper quickly piled around her as the hours ticked by. With each passing minute, the slayers assigned to watch over her grew restless.

"Would you hurry it up?" one of the young slayers complained. "Make your chemistry set boil faster."

Willow frowned at the impatient youth. "Okay. Telling me every couple minutes won't help. Clearly I can't speed up this process." The redhead's mounting frustrations spewed into her words. "If you would prefer to do this, help yourself. I'm sure Simone just overlooked your brilliance."

At the realization of what she had let slip, Willow's short-lived confidence dissipated when she turned to face an infuriated Slayer. With one swift stride, the Slayer had left her seated position from across the room and stood firm against the retreating redhead, pinning her against the edge of the lab table.

A cool metal blade caught the Witch by surprise as it grazed her cheek.

"You know… Simone just needs you alive and working," the menacing slayer snarled. "She said nothing about causing you a little discomfort."

"Plea- Please don't," the redhead pled. "It's just the fumes in here getting to my head."

A beaker slipped from her fingers and shattered on the ground.

"Right," the young slayer spat, "what do you take-"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" A welcomed, unfamiliar voice echoed from behind them.

Another slayer raced toward the two and was quick to grab the arm that held the knife against Willow's face. She pulled against the resisting arm, trying to wretch her comrade away from the valuable redhead.

"Get off!" Willow's assailant protested. She swung her elbow out, trying to dislodge the other slayer, and accidentally sliced her knife across her colleague's side. "Shit," she swore, tossing the bloodied blade onto the counter. "Are you okay?"

The other slayer pressed her hands against the shallow wound and grimaced. "Yeah. I'm fine."

The slayer guard glanced in Willow's direction. "I'm going to get her taken care of at the infirmary, and then smoke a cig. Once I'm back, I better not hear anymore catty remarks from you." The steaming slayer hastily turned on the balls of her feet and stormed out the room with her injured colleague, careful to lock the cell behind her.

Willow released a deep sigh before refocusing her attention back to the lab that sat before her. Knowing that Simone's patience was limited, she scrambled to create the damning concoction. It wasn't long before the gargle of a boiling flask caught her attention.

"This could be it," she murmured to herself. She carefully monitored the liquids in front of her. "I should write this down before I forget."

Without pulling her eyes away from the complicated series of bubbling flasks and beakers, Willow grabbed at a pencil that was given to her.

"Is that other girl okay?" she mumbled as she scribbled down a complex formula and continued to monitor the chemical-filled containers.

"Goddess," she wondered aloud as the liquid inside the flasks turned from yellow to blue. "It didn't explode on me. This might actually be possible…."

"You're awfully quiet," she remarked. "I thought you'd be telling me to hurry up again."

When her guard slayer didn't answer her yet again, Willow finally tore her eyes away from her chemistry set and looked around the room. She was alone, and the door to her cell was still locked.

"What the heck? Hello?" she called out, "Is anyone there?"

The former Wicca stared at the pencil that she'd placed back on the countertop. She could have _sworn _someone had handed it to her. "That didn't just happen," she murmured aloud, "….did it?"

Willow tentatively reached for the stationary pencil, stretching her fingers out. She lifted her fingertips slightly, and her eyes grew wide as the pencil began to levitate.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13: Rescue**

The night was silent beside the quiet lapping of waves tickling against the side of an open-sea kayak. Buffy concentrated on dipping her long paddle into the dark water as silently and efficiently as possible as she, Faith, and Kennedy sliced through the San Francisco Bay in the direction of Alcatraz Island.

A light mist began to fall down on the three slayers, penetrating through the foggy evening and splaying patterns on the surface of the otherwise calm water. Buffy paused her paddling to wipe away the moisture on her forehead.

"Are we clear on the plan?" Buffy asked the other slayers trailing behind her wake.

"We get Willow, we get out," Kennedy affirmed with a crisp nod. She confidently dipped her paddle into the water, thankful her parents had the foresight to have sent her to summer camp all those years ago.

Buffy turned her head slightly to appraise the two brunettes. "And that's it," she warned. "We find Willow and leave. This isn't a take-down Simone extravaganza," she reminded the two eager slayers. "It's just a rescue mission."

"But if we happen to run into Simone," Faith offered with a tense grin, "it couldn't hurt to lay down a little smack-down, don't you think?" Her plastic boat wobbled unsteadily as she tried to shift positions. The seat of her jeans was becoming uncomfortably damp from ocean water she'd sloppily splashed into her boat.

Buffy stopped paddling and her boat slowly glided over the water's surface. "I'm not condoning anything that's going to put Willow in danger. We sneak in and sneak out," she repeated. "If a squadron of slayers is chasing after us, these kayaks are going to be useless getaway vehicles."

"I told you we should have borrowed one of those speed boats from the harbor," Kennedy sourly complained.

"Right," Buffy said, rolling her eyes and continuing to paddle, "because no one on the island would hear a giant boat engine."

"Where did you get these death-trap boats anyway?" Faith asked, doing her best to keep up with the more nautically adept slayers.

Kennedy snickered. "You'd be surprised how gullible tourists can be."

"Great," Buffy complained. "Now I can check-off 'Ruin Someone's Vacation' from my Bucket List."

Kennedy tottered unsteadily in her small kayak when she dipped her paddle too far into the San Francisco water. "I hope drowning isn't on your Bucket List," she complained, quickly regaining her balance.

The Californian sighed. "Been there, done that."

Before long, Alcatraz Island loomed before the three slayers. A thin line of fog surrounded the island, giving it an even more foreboding look. Although the fog had made navigating to the former federal prison more difficult, once on the island, it would provide the needed cover for the three slayers.

Buffy took her paddle out of the water and pointed toward the shoreline, silently indicating to the other two women where she wanted to make landfall. The Californian had chosen to circumnavigate the island and find a more isolated clearing. By avoiding the main wharf and guard towers, the Chosen One hoped to land on the island undetected. The terrain toward the prison would be more difficult than on the tourist half of the island, but stealth was going to be essential on this rescue mission.

Buffy slid out of her open-air kayak and into the shallow water. She grit her teeth as her legs and feet hit the shockingly cold water. Faith and Kennedy followed suit, deftly and silently climbing out of their own boats.

"Fuck," Kennedy hissed. "What's the point of living in California if the water feels like the frickin' Artic?"

"Shut it, Ken," Faith snapped in a hushed tone. "What's the point of us being stealthy if you're just gonna run your mouth non-stop?"

Kennedy pressed her lips together to form a hard line.

The three slayers carefully dragged their boats ashore. The pea gravel along the shoreline noisily crunched as they slid their boats further up the makeshift landing. "So much for being stealthy," Kennedy grumbled to herself.

Buffy dragged her boat far enough up the shoreline to make sure her boat wouldn't get sucked back into the San Francisco Bay. "Remember this place," she grimly told the two slayers. "If we get separated for whatever reason, we meet back here."

"And if we get detected before we're able to rescue Willow?" Kennedy questioned. "Are we just supposed to paddle on back to San Francisco and hope Simone doesn't have a speed boat?"

Buffy worked her the muscles in her jaw. "No. We stay. We stay and fight."

"Get down!" Faith hissed when she heard unexpected voices. Buffy immediately crouched behind a large rock much larger than herself.

"Shit," Kennedy cursed. Off in the distance she could see the silhouettes of a handful of individuals. She dove behind a group of large rocks to avoid being seen.

"So now what?" Faith breathed to the other two slayers. "I didn't think we'd get company so soon."

Buffy peaked over the large boulders at a group of slayers conversing just a few yards away. Through the fog and dim moonlight, she could just make out four figures, but there could have been more. "We'll have to sneak past those girls," Buffy whispered, her eyes locked on the unsuspecting slayers. "If we try to take them down with violence, we risk alerting the whole island."

Kennedy sighed heavily from behind the elder slayers. "I'm tired of this plan."

Buffy turned her head to look at the bratty youth. Her hazel-green eyes widened when she saw Kennedy swinging a large piece of driftwood at her face.

Willow sat alone in her laboratory cell, chewing her bottom lip and erratically tapping her foot against the cement floor. She stared at the countertop on which her chemistry apparatus sat. But she wasn't concerned about the contents of the beakers and test tubes. Instead, she stared at a solitary pencil.

The pencil had levitated. She was sure of it. It had floated in the air, and when she had needed a pencil, it had come to her. Now, however, the pencil remained stationary. The tiny spark of magic, if it had been that at all, was gone.

Ever since Buffy had destroyed the Seed of Wonder, she hadn't been able to do _any _magic. She had tried, over and over again without success. And now, kidnapped and isolated on Alcatraz Island, the floating of a single pencil taunted her. The former Wicca tried to retrace her steps to figure out how it was possible.

Willow glanced at the pad of paper on which she'd scrawled a series of chemical formulas. Simone had been right; magic and chemistry weren't all that different. The redhead silently wondered if one of the concoctions she'd assembled was responsible for the floating pencil.

The captive witch's thoughts were interrupted by a loud cheer outside of her cell.

Willow stood from her seat and made her way to her closed and locked cell door. Through the heavy bars she could see young slayers celebrating, clapping each other on the back and jubilantly embracing.

"What's going on?" Willow asked, catching the attention of one of the women closest to her closed door. "What's the celebration for?"

The dark-haired and dark eyed woman flashed Willow a straight-toothed grin. "Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane have been caught. They were trying to sneak on the island, but we got 'em both."

Willow's stomach dropped in dread, and she felt suddenly weak. A single word and syllable tumbled from her mouth. "No."

The young slayer grinned cockily. "Guess Buffy isn't so untouchable after all."

Buffy slowly opened her eyes and winced at the fluorescent light beaming down on her recently unconscious form. The cement ground on which she lay was cold and damp.

She tried to bring her hand up to shield her sensitive eyes, but found her hands were tied behind her back. As her head began to clear, she noted the ties that bound her ankles as well.

On the ground a few feet away, Faith made a moaning noise from her position, hands likewise tied behind her back and ankles bound together.

Kennedy sat, looking anxious, on an uncomfortable looking chair. "It's about time you two woke up," she complained sourly.

Another woman was in the room with the three slayers. She stood, towering over the Chosen Two. "Stay here with these two," the broad-shouldered slayer instructed the unbound Kennedy. "I need to tell Simone our unexpected guests are finally awake." She curled her lip at the Chosen One. "I can't wait to see you grovel."

Buffy stared defiantly at the misguided youth from her position on the floor. "Don't hold your breath, because that's one thing you'll never see," she spat. "I went face-to-face with the Root of All Evil and came back whole. What makes you think I'm worried about a bunch of little girls?"

The nameless slayer smirked. "I heard you were good at making fancy speeches." The lumbering youth left the other three slayers behind, closing the cell door behind her with a metallic clang.

"Tell me why I shouldn't be kicking your ass right now," Faith growled as she glared at the other brunette slayer. She rolled herself into a seated position and glowered at the young woman.

Kennedy rolled her eyes and stood from her chair. "Because I got us inside the prison walls, that's why."

Faith narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What?"

"You really thought I'd betray you guys?" Kennedy blinked.

Buffy made a face. "The lump on the side of my head says 'yes.'"

Kennedy shook her head vehemently. "Your plan _sucked_, Buffy. There's no way we could have just snuck into this place without Simone and her goons finding out."

"Why couldn't you have just told us your plan instead of knocking us out?" the blonde challenged.

Kennedy smirked. "Like you'd actually listen to me. You're General Buffy," she scoffed. "You don't listen to the soldiers."

"Hey, what about me?" Faith protested.

The other brunette snorted. "Sorry, Faith. You might have been badass once upon a time, but now you're just Buffy's lapdog."

Faith thrashed against the rope that bound her wrists. "Untie me and I'll show you my bite is worse than my bark."

Kennedy grinned and stooped to help untie the rope around Buffy's hands. "Maybe I'll just keep you tied up then," she taunted.

Buffy flexed her wrists after Kennedy untied her makeshift handcuffs. "As appealing as that thought is, we need all the fire power we can muster," she stated grimly.

Faith couldn't help but grin, despite their situation and her position on the cold cement ground. "You like the thought of me tied up, huh B?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

Buffy shook her head, incredulous that even prostrate and bound on the ground, Faith still managed to turn everything she said into a sexual innuendo. "On second thought…" the blonde muttered.

The three slayers were instantly alerted by the sound of thudding boots in the hallway. Kennedy rushed to unfasten the ties that held Faith captive. The door to the cell was violently thrown open and Simone entered the small room.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Buffy scrambled to her feet while Kennedy finished loosening the knots binding Faith. "Didn't your mom ever teach you it's not nice to kidnap other people's best friends?" the blonde slayer noted. Buffy fell back onto the balls of her feet, readying herself for a battle in the closed confines of the jail cell.

Simone's face registered confusion, then rage, when she realized what had happened. "You bitch!" she swore, glaring at Kennedy. "I'll kill you for betraying me. I can't believe you'd take _her _side."

Kennedy laughed. "So I was supposed to side with the lunatic who kidnapped my girlfriend?" she scoffed.

Simone's eyes narrowed and her face contorted. "I'm going to enjoy killing you all," she seethed. She pointed at Buffy and snarled. "Starting with you."

Buffy's body reflexively tensed. "You know it doesn't have to go down this way."

Her mouth said the words, but she didn't really mean it. Somewhere, Buffy _knew _this was the only way. She'd been naïve to believe Faith might be able to infiltrate Simone's slayer army and get the rogue slayers to come back to the fold. This is how it was always meant to happen. The time for grand, heartfelt speeches was over.

"If you don't want to embrace being a slayer," Simone growled, "you don't deserve to be one."

Faith stepped beside Buffy and snickered. "Someone's startin' to sound like teenage-me," she said shaking her head. "Damn, B. You shoulda shut me up back then."

One of the Buffy's eyebrows rose, but she kept her eyes trained on Simone. "I did…don't you remember?"

A smirk settled onto Faith's lips. "You're tellin' me that you managed to beat me?"

"Yup."

"Well we can revisit memory lane and how you apparently put the smack-down on me later," Faith said. She nodded in the direction of the fuming rogue slayer. "Whatdoya say we take care of her first?"

Buffy tightened her balled fists. "Sounds like a great idea to me. You and Kennedy go find Willow."

Faith's face revealed her surprise. "What?"

"I've got this," Buffy stated, her eyes still trained on Simone. "I owe this wannabe slayer some pain."

Faith opened her mouth to protest again. "But—."

"If you ever want me to forgive you," the blonde interrupted, snapping at Faith's hesitance, "do this for me," she implored. "I can't lose Willow. She's my best friend."

Faith's mouth twitched at one side like she wanted to say more. She looked briefly between the mohawked slayer and the blonde. Simone was physically larger than Buffy and carrying a whole lot of rage, but she knew the Chosen One would be able to hold her own against one foolish slayer. She had the scars to prove it.

Finally, making her decision, Faith nodded at Kennedy and the two women sprinted away in search of the missing witch.

"Guess it's just us now," Buffy chirped.

"Doesn't matter to me," Simone grunted, starting to circle the elder slayer in the small cell. "I'm still planning on killing all three of you."

"That's really cute," Buffy mused, "but I think your pink hair dye has gone to your brain."

Simone snorted. "You should talk, Ms. Peroxide."

Buffy paused her pacing and her lips twisted into a small frown. "Okay, I walked into that one."

"If I were a formerly powerful Wicca," Faith murmured to herself as she aimlessly wandered the abandoned hallways of the former federal prison, "where would I be?"

The Boston slayer felt discouraged. Instead of having the opportunity to fight, she'd been sent on a search and recover mission. It was the kind of task Buffy typically assigned to Xander or Dawn. She felt useless, but she also knew that Buffy trusting her to find Willow was an important task in itself.

When Buffy had re-appeared at her motel door that afternoon, to say that she'd been surprised, was an understatement. After how things had ended between them the previous evening, she certainly hadn't expected to see the blonde slayer so soon, or at all. She'd had a little time to muse over the events of that night. Between Buffy finding out about Kate and then bedding the Chosen One, Faith's trip to San Francisco had been far more than she'd bargained for.

Faith could understand why Buffy had shown up that night. Even back in Sunnydale in their youth, the blonde had always shown up at her motel wanting to _talk_, wanting to _help_. But what Faith couldn't understand is when she had kissed her, thinking that Buffy was Kate, why Buffy had kissed her back and more. Could Buffy possibly be harboring emotions for the brunette woman, or had she just been caught up in the moment and now regretted what she had done? These were conversations she knew she'd need to have with Buffy at some point. But as much as the Californian loved to talk, Faith wasn't sure this was a topic either slayer would want to tackle anytime soon.

Faith sighed, and she continued to amble around the seemingly deserted prison. The cellblock was unnervingly quiet – a far cry from the all-female institute where she'd been housed just a few years earlier. She couldn't imagine why any of the rogue slayers would _volunteer _to bunk in such a desolate, crumbling place.

Her heavy boots echoed in the vast, rambling hallways of the former federal prison. Faith hazarded a glance into each cell she walked past, but found no sign of either Willow or any human being. Either the rogue slayers weren't yet occupying this section of the prison, or they were all on assignment somewhere else.

Faith rounded a cinderblock corner, and smacked hard into a lithe form. The Bostonian instinctively tensed her body, readying herself to be attacked. When her dark eyes came to rest on a familiar slayer's face, she readied her body _to _attack.

Satsu looked as though she was just coming from sparring or working out. She wore a tight sports tanktop paired with neon running shorts. Her hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and sweat beaded across her forehead.

"Faith!" the Asian woman exclaimed. The surprise was transparent on her attractive features. "I heard you and Buffy had been captured!"

"You heard wrong." Faith's lips curled menacingly. "Sorry to rain on your parade, Eggroll."

Without another word of warning, Faith launched her fist in the direction of the unprepared woman.

"Hey!" the younger slayer protested. Satsu stumbled a few steps backwards with surprise. Faith's clenched fist sailed past her face and the young woman could feel the air move around her, evidence that she'd nearly been punched.

Having missed her target, Faith scowled. She jumped from a standing position and kicked her left leg in the direction of Satsu's head. The young slayer blocked the attack with barred forearms.

"Stop trying to hit me," Satsu grunted, shoving the brunette away.

"And why would I want to do that?" Faith charged as she thrust her fist once again in the direction of the Asian slayer's face. Satsu ducked out of the way again, and the Bostonian's clenched hand connected with yellowing cinder blocks.

"Because we're on the same side," the younger slayer insisted. She swept an outstretched leg across the floor, but Faith jumped in the air, narrowly missing the leg-attack.

"You've certainly got a funny way of showing that," Faith countered. She elbowed the other slayer in the ribcage. "Seems like you got a good gig going over here. What did Simone promise you to get you on her side?

Satsu deflected another brutally aimed punch. "Didn't Kennedy tell you?" she yelled at the violent slayer. "I'm only _pretending _to help out Simone. I didn't go bad."

"And why would you go out of your way to do that, Sweet Cheeks?" Faith shot back. She bounced on the balls of her feet, readying herself for another assault. "Your dedication to being a good little slayer is awfully admirable."

The Asian slayer's cheeks pinked. "Screw the Sacred Duty," she blustered. She held her fists closed, guarding her torso defensively. "I'm doing it for Buffy."

Faith dropped her guard at the younger woman's honesty. Her body went loose and her shoulders slumped. "See? Was that so hard?" she said shakily.

The Boston woman regarded the attractive slayer for a moment. She stared, trying to perceive what about this specific girl was special enough that Buffy had fallen into bed with her. She had a nice body, Faith had to admit, but that wasn't unusual for a Slayer. A slender, yet toned figure came with the territory. She had a cute face and nice skin, but nothing about this girl really jumped off the page.

Faith shook her head, realizing she was wasting time. "Which way to Willow?" she briskly demanded. "We gotta hurry up. It's only a matter of time before we have a riot on our hands."

Simone caught Buffy's foot in the air, inches before it struck her square in the chest. The mohawked woman wrenched the blonde's ankle. Buffy spun her body into the twist to avoid having her ankle shattered. She caught herself before falling on the floor and bounced back to her feet.

"You couldn't beat me in Italy," Simone boasted. "What makes you think you can beat me now?"

"Because you were just an annoyance before," Buffy replied, "but now I'm pissed."

The blonde slayer twisted her hips and jumped in the air. Her figure spun, her right foot flying through the air. Simone leaned backwards, arching her back. The tip of Buffy's shoe grazed Simone's squared jaw, narrowly missing her. The rogue woman arched too far and stumbled backwards a few steps. She backed into a desk, and regained her balance.

Simone pulled an almost comically large gun out of the desk's top drawer. "Enough words," she panted. Perspiration dotted her forehead. "Time to die."

The Chosen One regarded her mohawked opponent.

"I really can't stand guns," Buffy complained. Her throat felt tight, looking at the weapon, but she worked hard to appear bored and unconcerned.

The pink-haired slayer waved her oversized semi-automatic in the air. "What's wrong? Afraid of a little technology, Grandma?" she sneered.

The blonde slayer shook her head. "No. Guns are for the weak," Buffy boldly taunted. "Guns are for people who are scared and powerless to do anything to defend themselves."

Simone's lip curled cruelly. "Then where's yours, Blondie?" The Chicago native lowered her weapon and aimed at Buffy's chest. She unlatched the safety and the sound of the hammer cocking echoed in the air.

Buffy dove forward, catching the younger slayer by the wrists.

Buffy had spent more than a decade fighting Evil. And now that she'd successfully banished magic and mystical creatures from this dimension, her job _should _have been complete. She _should _have been able to take a break. But she realized, in that moment, that no one could vanquish the Evil that lay at the root of Humankind.

Jealousy. Greed. Pride. Envy. Single-worded evils that, no matter how fiercely and valiantly she fought, she would never defeat.

She was tired of speeches. Tired of words. Tired of trying to convince this rogue woman that her way was the right way.

The world seemed to go quiet as the two slayers wrestled for control of the dangerous weapon. And then the sound of a gunshot shattered the silence.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14: You Killed Me**

"_What's the matter?" Buffy spit out. "All that killing, are you afraid to die?"_

_Faith didn't respond to the blonde's bitter question. She spun the other girl around to gain leverage. Using her legs, she snapped the handcuff chain that had held them together. The two women slowly circled each other. Faith held a length of pipe gripped tightly in one fist. Buffy pulled out a uniquely shaped blade._

"_That's mine," Faith growled, recognizing her knife._

"_You're about to get it back," the elder slayer shot back._

_The two women exchanged blows, with Faith effectively dodging the slice of Buffy's knife. They moved to the edge of the terrace, which overlooked the northern Californian town. Faith held Buffy at the edge._

"_Man, I'm gonna miss this," the dangerous brunette breathed reverently._

_Buffy broke out of Faith's grip and without hesitating, plunged the knife into the Boston slayer's abdomen. Both women looked stunned._

_The brunette touched her wound and weakly smiled. "You did it."_

_Buffy reached for the injured slayer, but Faith, mustering her last ounce of strength threw the blonde away from her._

"_You killed me," Faith rasped. Gingerly holding her abdomen, she climbed onto the low wall that ran the perimeter of the terrace and looked down. "Still won't help your boy though. Shouldn't been there, B," she smiled weakly. "Quite the ride."_

_The blonde slayer could only stare in mixed horror and awe as Faith fell backward off the wall. Buffy scrambled to her feet and made her way to the wall. Two stories below she could see _her own body _– not Faith's – stationary, in the bed of a moving truck._

"_You did it….you killed me."_

"_Buffy? Buffy!"_

The California slayer slowly opened her eyes. She found herself lying on cement ground. Kennedy, Satsu, Willow, and Faith hovered above her.

Buffy gingerly sat up with Willow's help. "What…what happened?" she asked, pressing her palms against her temples. Her head throbbed with the ghost pain of a recent migraine. "Where's Simone? We were fighting and…"

Her eyes immediately scanned her surroundings. She was still in the Alcatraz prison where she remembered fighting Simone. She was surprised, however, to find the rogue woman's body on the ground just a few feet away. The mohawked woman's glassy eyes stared up at the prison ceiling and thick, crimson blood leaked from a massive stomach wound. Next to the dead slayer's body laid the oversized gun.

Faith nudged at the fallen figure with the toe of her boot. Simone's lifeless body slightly rolled. "I think…you shot her."

Buffy looked down at her hands. They were shaking. "I don't remember," she whispered.

Faith rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and tried to stifle a yawn. She wished she had some sunglasses to ward off the early California morning sun, but she hadn't had the foresight to bring any with her on their invasion of Alcatraz Island.

She and a large group of similarly-aged women stood uncomfortably on the main pier at Alcatraz Island waiting for a tourist ferry to bring them back to the mainland.

Faith had taken charge of the situation the moment Buffy killed Simone. The blonde was too shaken up, too disturbed by the events she swore she couldn't remember. Although she was concerned for her sister-Slayer, the Bostonian realized that they had precious little time to wrangle the other slayers on the island before more bloodshed occurred. They were still mightily outnumbered, even with Kennedy and Satsu on their side.

It had taken a while to assemble all the rogue slayers back at the prison compound – they were scattered around the island at different guard posts – but as soon as word spread that Simone had been killed, they had obediently filed together.

Faith had spoken to them as a large group and had given them two choices. They could return to their original Slayer cell and go back to patrolling and training, or they could move on, living a life away from the Supernatural. She'd given them all a stern warning, however, that if it were discovered they'd been misusing their powers, she wouldn't hesitate to dispose of them like what had happened to Simone.

With Simone's broken body still visible, evidence of the consequences of betraying the slayers' Calling, the other women had fallen into line. These artificially Called slayers were soldiers, not leaders, and only required a strong general to follow behind.

After what felt like ages, a tourist boat pulled into the Alcatraz pier, and the small army of young women filed onto the boat to return to San Francisco. The ferryboat staff gave the boarding women strange looks, but asked no questions. It was the first boat of the early morning and no one should have been on the island overnight.

The Boston slayer climbed the ramp up into the ferryboat. She glanced around at the crowded boat. None of Simone's former allies would make eye-contact with her. It had been that way since she'd spoken to them as a group. They were either embarrassed by their betrayal or still angry.

"Hey."

Faith turned at the sound of the halted greeting and saw Kennedy approaching. "Hey yourself."

"How's your head?" the younger slayer asked. "I hope that piece of driftwood didn't cause permanent brain damage."

Faith smirked. "With as many times as I've gotten knocked in the head, if my brain's not already bruised, a piece of rotting wood's not gonna hurt me."

"No hard feelings, right?" Kennedy asked, her eyes shifting in their sockets.

"Nah, we're cool," Faith said, shaking her head. "I realize you were just trying to help, trying to save Willow, no matter the cost. I get that."

Kennedy's body visibly relaxed.

"So are you planning on sticking around? Or you taking off again?"

Kennedy glanced in the direction of her ex-girlfriend. Willow was seated at the front of the boat, intensely scrutinizing the contents of a notebook. "I'm not sure," she admitted slowly, her eyes still trained on the redhead. "I guess it's up to Willow. I'm hoping we'll have a second chance to work things out. How about you? Sticking around for a while?"

Faith shrugged. "Not sure. We'll see where the wind blows me next."

"Well, uh, good talking to you," Kennedy noted. She looked once more in the direction of the former Wicca. "I'm, uh, gonna go talk to Willow."

Faith gave the slayer a genuine smile. "Good luck with that, kid."

Kennedy walked away and Faith hesitated once more, not sure where to sit. She saw Buffy standing near the rear of the boat, overlooking the ferryboat's wake as their vehicle cruised toward the San Francisco shores. She started towards the Californian, but paused mid-step when she spied Satsu approaching the blonde slayer as well.

A small frown formed on the brunette's features. She watched as Buffy turned to greet the Asian slayer. The two exchanged a few words, but Faith was unable to eavesdrop over the roar of the boat engine and the sound of waves crashing against the boat's bow.

Faith watched Satsu brush her fingertips against Buffy's cheekbone, and she swallowed down her anger. The brunette spun on her heels and stomped off toward the front of the boat and sat down on a bench seat.

There would be time to confront Buffy later. After all, she didn't want to look like she was waiting in line for her opportunity to talk with the Chosen One.

"I didn't really go evil."

Buffy turned away from the water's edge at the sound of the familiar voice. Satsu stood before her, anxiously chewing on her lower lip.

"I know," Buffy acknowledged with a curt nod. "Kennedy told us. What I don't understand though, Satsu, is _why _you did it." Buffy frowned. "You could have gotten seriously hurt playing games with Simone like that. Or _I_ could have hurt you," she pointed out, "not knowing you were still fighting on our side."

"I still…I still have all these _feelings_," Satsu struggled to choke out. "And I don't know what to do with them all. I'd hoped they'd go away. But seeing you again…" Satsu tentatively reached out and brushed her fingertips against Buffy's cheek. "It hurts all over again."

"Satsu…" Buffy turned away from the outstretched hand.

"I know you're not gay," the other slayer sighed, "and you don't have time for love or a relationship. I get it." Satsu grimaced and dropped her hand. "And I'm sorry I thought being a double-agent would change any of that." She looked away and hastily wiped at her eyes.

Buffy felt exhausted. The past few days had been far too tumultuous, even for her. After she destroyed the Seed of Wonder, things were supposed to be easy. But she was finding the exact opposite to be true. All she wanted to do was crawl onto her futon – something she'd been dreaming about doing since she returned to her apartment from Faith's motel room. After all she'd gone through the past few days, she certainly didn't want to deal with a lovesick slayer. She'd had this conversation with Satsu once before.

"You're an amazing woman, Satsu," Buffy noted with an inaudible sigh. "And one hell of a slayer, too."

"But that's not enough for you, is it?" the other woman countered.

Buffy studied the taller girl's face. "I don't have many friends – people I can really trust. But I hope that maybe you and I are friends."

Satsu's shoulders heaved, and she gave the blonde slayer a wistful look. "Yeah. Friends." She nodded, and her smile turned into a playful grin. "How do you feel about friends with benefits?"

Buffy flashed a subtle look in Faith's direction. She saw the brunette slayer sitting at the front of the boat, sulking. "I think I need to be celibate for a while, but I appreciate the offer," Buffy remarked in a tight voice.

The two women stood in silence for a moment. The sound of birds shrieking and water splashing against the bow of the boat filled the space around them.

"What are you going to do now?" Buffy asked the younger slayer.

Satsu stared out across the open water. San Francisco loomed in front of their swiftly speeding boat. "I'll probably head back to Tokyo and pull that group of Slayers back together," she remarked. "As much as I like the California sunshine, I can't stay here. No offense, but it's just too hard." She gave the blonde a fleeting smile. "I've never been graceful when things don't go my way. I'd probably pout and sulk, and I wouldn't want you to see that."

Buffy returned Satsu's soft smile. "I'm sure you're cute when you pout."

Satsu's smile widened. "Careful, Summers. You're gonna keep breaking hearts if you flirt with people who are in love with you."

Buffy covered her mouth. "I'm sorry! It just came out! It's like a reflex or something."

"Don't worry," Satsu chuckled. "I'm young. I'm sure my heart will mend. But you know, if you ever change your mind…"

"My cookies are still in the oven," Buffy interjected.

Satsu shook her head. "I have no idea what that means, but you're awfully cute."

Buffy reached out and squeezed the young slayer's hand. "Be safe," she told Satsu, "and make sure you keep in touch. And not just about Slayer stuff, okay?"

The Asian slayer nodded, looking down at their enjoined hands. Finally, squeezing Buffy's hand one last time, she released the Chosen One's grip and wandered away to another part of the boat.

Buffy watched Satsu's retreating figure, unable to resist admiring the way the other woman's jeans clung to her slender upper thighs and pert backside.

"Get a grip, Summers," she murmured to herself.

Buffy gazed back over the slightly choppy waves and breathed in deeply, enjoying the salty tang of the ocean air. She and Satsu had had fun together, she had to admit. With Satsu, even though she was a girl, it had been surprisingly uncomplicated. Sex hadn't been that uncomplicated in quite a while. And at least when she slept with Satsu, the world hadn't almost come to an end.

Buffy turned again when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She found herself unexpectedly gazing into Faith's chocolate eyes.

"Hey, B," Faith rasped. She offered the Chosen One a smile. "How ya holdin' up?"

Buffy looked at Faith's hand, which remained on her shoulder. The Bostonian immediately removed her hand and mumbled a hasty apology.

"I'm fine," Buffy tersely replied.

She wondered how long the brunette had been standing nearby. It made her uncomfortable to think Faith might have overheard parts of her conversation with Satsu. In fact, _everything_ about Faith's proximity made her uncomfortable. With the threat of Simone vanquished, she now had the unsettling chore of confronting the events of the last few days.

Faith held up her hands in retreat. "Not trying to pick a fight, B. I just, you know, I _know _what it's like – what happened with Simone, I mean. And I thought, I dunno, if you ever want to talk…" She trailed off, felling helpless.

Buffy frowned at the rambling slayer. "I didn't think you were much of a talker," she said icily. "More of a _do-er_."

The brunette's face clouded over. "Listen, Buffy. If you wanna yell and scream at me for what went down in my hotel room, that's fine by me. But don't forget that you were there, too. You kissed me back."

Buffy glanced around nervously, acutely aware of how many passengers were on the ferryboat. "Can we not do this right here?"

Seeing Buffy on the defensive spurred on the former rogue slayer. "Why not, Princess?" she breathed. "Don't want your girlfriend to get jealous?" Faith cursed herself for being unable to mask the bitterness in her voice. "I noticed you and the Fortune Cookie were making friends again."

"We were just saying goodbye," Buffy informed the steaming woman. "She's going back to Tokyo."

Faith's shoulders slumped. "Damn it, Buffy. I'm really working on not being a bitch. But just when I think I've got a handle on it, all these mean things keep tumbling out of my mouth. That's not who I am anymore," she said, shaking her head. "I really just came over to offer a sympathetic ear if ya ever wanted to talk about the Simone thing."

Buffy searched Faith's face, looking for that familiar glimmer of malice, sarcasm, or contempt. Finding none, she dropped her guard as well. "I don't know what you want me to say," she sighed.

Faith's dark eyes shone. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

"I don't think I can…"

"I know I missed up with the Kate thing, and I'm sorry," Faith rushed out.

Buffy stiffened at the mere mention of her doppelganger's name. "Did you know she came and talked to me?"

Faith's eyes widened. "Oh shit. When?"

"Just before I went to your hotel room. It's why I came over," Buffy informed the other slayer. "She told me it wasn't your idea she stayed looking like that."

Faith dropped her eyes. "I swear I'm not a giant pervert," she mumbled. "I mean, maybe at the beginning I was…"

"I don't need details," Buffy sniffed.

"I know you don't, B." Faith grabbed her sister-Slayer's hands. "But I want to tell you. I don't want us to have these secrets between us."

Buffy looked mildly shocked at the show of emotion. "What _do _you want from me, Faith?"

The words echoed through the brunette's core. It was in that instance that the younger slayer could feel the reels of their youth begin to spin once again, playing out a simple tale of longing for acceptance and love.

Blinking out of her thoughts, Faith dropped the blonde's hands. "At this point… forgiveness. Is that too much to ask?"

Buffy turned away from the brunette and stared out over the open water. "I don't know yet," she murmured into the air. "I don't know if I even have the _right_ to forgive you. I'm no saint."

Faith buried her hands in her pockets. "Are we ever going to talk about –,"

"No. I mean…" Buffy turned and faced the taller woman again. "I'm not ready to. Not yet, at least. Are you?"

Faith sucked in a sharp breath. "To be honest, just the thought of us actually talking about what happened freaks the fuck out of me."

Buffy's face crumpled. "That's an interesting way of saying it."

Faith looked up at the powder blue sky. "I know we have to talk about it. And I want to. Kind of. I know it's unhealthy to pretend like it didn't happen and to just go on with our lives. But I'm so used to running from uncomfortable situations that the prospect of actually _talking_ about it freaks me out." Faith removed her hands from her pockets and raked her fingers through her wind-tussled hair. "And even if we do talk about it, I don't know what to say," she complained. "I don't know how to start. I don't know what it means." She made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. "Help?"

Buffy couldn't help but smile seeing the other slayer so frustrated and flustered. It was very unlike Faith, and a little endearing. "When are you going back to England?"

Faith shrugged beneath her jacket. "I haven't decided yet."

"Well when you decide, let me know," Buffy noted. "We'll talk then."

"So we're really gonna do this?" Faith released an uneasy breath. "Like, sit down and just talk about…it?"

"It all depends on you."

Faith raised an eyebrow.

Buffy shrugged. "If you never leave, we never have to talk about it."

The blonde walked away without another word, leaving Faith behind feeling even more confused than before.

"_You did it….you killed me."_

Buffy found herself in a darkened alleyway. She tensed when she heard heavy boots crunching against gravel. A figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Why did you do it?"

Buffy squinted, straining to make out the stranger's identity. The woman's voice was hauntingly familiar. The blonde slayer's breath caught in her throat when the moonlight illuminated Faith's beautiful, chiseled features. Her dark eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Why did you kill me?"

A cloud passed over the moon, filling the alleyway with ominous shadows. When the skies cleared again, Faith was no longer there. Instead, she had been replaced by Simone. "Why did you kill me, Buffy?" she repeated.

"I didn't want to," Buffy apologized, rattled by the transformation. For as many times as they occurred, she would never understand these Slayer dreams. "I never wanted to kill anyone. But you gave me no choice."

The young slayer silently chuckled to herself as she stared off into the distance. "What's that old clichéd line that you good guys always say?" She furrowed her brow and snapped her fingers in thought. "It's always something along the lines of 'You always have a choice'… somethin' like that."

Finding no response from the blonde slayer, Simone continued. "It's not over, Blondie," she stated, a cruel grimace plastered to her features. "I'm not the only one who wanted you dead. I'm the least of your worries right now."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at the woman she knew to be dead. "Who? What's coming?"

"You'll find out soon enough," the pink-haired girl mocked. "You know what they say – keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But in your case, they might be the one and the same."

Buffy opened her eyes and sat up in bed. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the minimal light and she found herself in the back den of Xander and Dawn's apartment on the dilapidated futon. Her breathing was labored and her hair had wrestled itself out of a ponytail. Strands of her blonde locks were plastered to her forehead and the back of her damp, clammy neck.

She looked at the red, illuminated digital numbers of an alarm clock on the ground. It was nearly 2am. Outside she could hear the city still bustling despite the hour. Buffy pulled back the thin cotton sheet and jumped out of bed.

Quickly, but quietly so as to not wake up her sister or Xander, she traveled down the hallway to the kitchen. She took the landline telephone off its wall cradle and punched in the series of numbers she found on a scrap piece of paper near the kitchen phone line.

The phone rang three times before being picked up.

"Hello?" came a feminine voice, thick with sleep.

"Faith?" Buffy clutched the phone tighter at the sound of her sister-Slayer's voice.

"Yeah?"

"It's me. Buffy," she unnecessarily clarified.

"What's wrong?" Faith pressed, immediately concerned that the blonde would be calling at this hour.

"Did you…did you just have a Slayer dream?" Buffy anxiously questioned. She worried her bottom lip.

"Not unless a half-naked Angelina Jolie is suddenly making appearances," the Boston girl responded honestly. "Why? What did you dream about?"

The words caught in the back of Buffy's throat and she struggled to choke them out. "I saw….Simone," she said, consciously editing the first half of her dream and Faith's appearance. "She said there's still someone out to get me. Someone else who wants me dead."

"And this is 2am worthy news?" the brunette croaked. "Since when does someone _not _want to kill you, B?"

"Not helping, _F_."

"I'm sorry. You think it was a Slayer dream?" Faith gently coaxed.

"I-I don't know," Buffy admitted. "It could just be guilt, I guess."

"Did she say anything else?" the brunette prodded. "Or give you any clues as to who it might be?"

Buffy frowned. "No. But she said that I should keep my friends and enemies close, and hinted that my friends might be my enemies."

Faith was silent across town.

"Faith? You still there?" Buffy called out after an uncomfortable moment.

"Yeah," the Bostonian replied. "I'm still here."

"I don't have many friends, Faith," the blonde noted. Her voice wavered. "Who do you think she meant?"

"Is it me?" the brunette asked soberly.

Buffy swallowed hard. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "Are we friends?"

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15: Life Goes On**

Buffy stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. She leaned against the front counter of the coffee shop where she was employed. Despite her attempts to re-energize herself through massive amounts of caffeine, she was still exhausted. The tell-tale circles under her eyes were evidence as well. She hadn't felt this habitually tired since just before she'd been Called at age sixteen, and her sleepless nights had been full of nightmares and flashes of previous slayers' lives.

But lately she hadn't dreamt of vampires or past slayers – she'd dreamt of Simone. And Faith. Since that night on Alcatraz Island only a short number of days ago, the blonde had dreamt the same recurring dream. Stabbing Faith and watching her fall from the Sunnydale rooftop meshed with memories of wrestling Simone for the gun. And every time, she'd wake up, restless and sweaty, nearly catapulting out of her bed.

Often, Simone would talk to her, spouting vague and cryptic messages. And disturbingly, Simone's body would morph into Faith's, going back and forth, until the slayer no longer knew who the dreams were really about.

Most nights she ignored the urge to call up Faith at her motel and see if she'd shared the same dream. But on the few occasions when she was so shook up from a particularly jarring dream, she turned to the other slayer for some reassurance and solace. And every time, Faith denied having a similar nightmare as the elder slayer.

They still hadn't talked about…it – what had happened between she and Faith the evening before hunting Simone. They talked about everything _but_…it. And even in her own thoughts, the blonde wasn't able to put a name to…it. The words, the images it conjured up, albeit not wholly unpleasant, were far too unsettling to deal with. She had enough on her plate right now. She'd deal with _it_ another day.

Buffy looked up when she heard the jangle of the coffee shop's front entrance. A man in his thirties entered, adjusting the silk tie around his neck. Buffy stood straighter and forced a smile on her reluctant lips. "What can I get you?" she chirped in a bubbly voice that sounded foreign to her ears.

The man stared over her head and at the menu list of available caffeinated beverages. Buffy's smile fell from her lips. She hated when customers wouldn't make eye contact. It reminded her too much of her months working at the Double-Meat Palace. But at least with her current job, she came home smelling like coffee, not grease and mystery meat.

Buffy took the man's order and turned her back to make his specialty drink. After the morning rush she typically was left to fend for herself on weekdays. The store manager sat back in the supply room and read comic books until business picked back up again for the lunch-time crowd.

Finishing making the customer's mocha, Buffy turned back. Her eyes went wide when the man was no longer standing there – instead, Simone stood in his place.

Buffy released a gurgled sound of surprise and the coffee slipped from her hand. The open container shattered on the tile floor and hot liquid scalded the front of her bare legs.

Simone cocked her head to the side, regarding the startled slayer. She opened her mouth to speak. Buffy's ears filled with the sound of steamed milk and frothing bubbles.

Buffy blinked hard and found herself back in front of the mocha machine. Hot milk bubbled over the edges of the cup, and the slayer quickly pulled the container away from the steamer.

She turned to look back at the man, who remained patiently awaiting his caffeinated drink. Buffy shook her head hard. Simone was dead. She'd only been daydreaming.

Buffy gave the man a brief, embarrassed smile, hoping he hadn't noticed her spacing out.

Buffy watched the man exit, the front door jangling as he walked out into the San Francisco sunshine. The blonde hugged herself. The last time she'd hallucinated while at work had been years ago when she'd believed Sunnydale was a figment of her imagination, and she was a patient at an insane asylum.

"Great," she murmured to herself. "As if my life couldn't get any weirder."

A tall man, dressed in non-descript khakis and a polo shirt followed a guided tour through the echoing halls of Alcatraz prison.

Their guide stopped in front of an empty cell. "And here," he started, raising his voice to be heard over the small crowd, "is where Chicago gangster Al Capone was incarcerated. Capone was one of the Rock's most infamous inmates and had to be kept in solitary for his own protection."

The other members of the group peered through the rusting metal bars at the gloomy cell beyond. A few took pictures with their phones.

"I read in the papers recently that a group of people took over the prison."

The tour guide scanned the group to place the voice with a face. His eyes settled on the face of a square-jawed man with dark, close-cropped hair. "They didn't _take it over,_" he said stiffly. "It was just some kids pulling a prank."

The tourist opened his mouth. "But I read –."

"The papers got it wrong," the guide interrupted. "We found some camping supplies when we re-opened for business after fumigation. That it's. No vandalism. No big demonstration." He cleared his throat. "Now, returning to the _real _tour…"

The man who'd asked the question lingered behind and left the guided tour.

The phone rang in Faith's motel room, causing the Boston slayer to pause her exit. She'd promised Dawn she'd spend some time with her and was just about to go out the door.

"Hello?" she called into the receiver.

"Hey."

"Kate!" Faith exclaimed, immediately recognizing the woman's voice. She looked out the blinds of her motel room as if expecting to see the shape-shifter standing outside in the parking lot. "Where are you?"

"London."

"I figured as much," Faith noted, walking away from the front window. "I saw the airfare charge on my credit card."

"Sorry I took your card," Kate apologized, the sincerity not reaching her voice, "but you didn't leave me much choice."

Faith scratched at the back of her neck and sighed. She sat down on the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry about how everything went down, Kate. I shouldn't have put you in that position."

"Have you talked with her yet or are you both still playing the avoidance game?" Kate asked briskly, avoiding niceties and small talk.

Faith closed her eyes and pinched at the bridge of her nose. This wasn't going to be easy. As much as she'd been avoiding talking to Buffy about what had happened, she hadn't exactly been looking forward to talking to her girlfriend about it either. "A lot has happened since you left."

"Well, I've got all the time in the world," Kate noted. "This call's on your dime though, so you might wanna stop pussy-footing around."

"We haven't exactly talked," Faith groaned. "In fact, I'm pretty sure things are even more complicated now."

Kate chuckled throatily. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"We, uh…I had sex with Buffy."

Kate was silent across the Atlantic Ocean. The Bostonian clutched at her phone, waiting for the other woman's response.

"Jesus, Kate. Would you say something?" Faith implored. Her throat tightened when the shape-shifter continued to refuse to respond. "For fucks sake," she swore. "Yell at me? Swear? Do _something_?"

Faith heard a small cough across the line.

"Kate?" Faith tried again.

"It…It hurts more than I thought it would," Kate admitted slowly in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you," Faith rushed. "It just…it just kind of happened."

"I guess it was only a matter of time," Kate noted, a slight chill in her voice.

"Hey now…" Faith started to protest.

"I've never been cheated on before," the shape-shifter admitted. "I've always left before it could happen."

"Well, technically you _did _leave," Faith pointed out. "And then it happened."

Kate growled. "Watch it, Lehane."

"She showed up at the motel, and I thought she was you," Faith grumbled.

"Not the entire time though," Kate said flatly.

Faith sighed. "No – not the entire time."

"When'd you figure it out?" the other woman pressed.

The Bostonian winced. "Do you really want all the details?"

"Was it before or after your face was between her thighs?" The bitterness in Kate's tone was palpable.

"I kissed her," Faith revealed. "And I knew."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" the shape-shifter snorted. "Do you want some kind of prize for being able to tell the difference between her tongue and mine?"

"Damn it, Kate," Faith swore. "I'm sorry. When I came to San Francisco, I never expected…"

"That Buffy Summers would be a raging lesbian?"

"That she'd ever kiss me back," Faith countered.

"And now that she has?" Kate pressed impatiently.

"Fuck, I don't know." Faith threw up her hands in frustration, despite Kate not being able to see her. "Nothing has ever been simple with her; this least of all."

The two lovers were silent.

"So now what?" Faith asked. "Where does that leave us?"

"I don't know," Kate sighed sadly. "I think this is the kind of conversation we should have face-to-face, and not over the phone. I guess look me up when you get back to England? That is if you ever come back."

"I've gotta go back," Faith said stubbornly. "I've got responsibilities over there. Giles' stuff. Angel."

"I almost forgot about him," Kate admitted.

The brunette smiled. "Probably cause the guy makes himself scarce when you're around," Faith pointed out.

"I guess I can't blame him."

"No." Faith was quiet for a moment, lost to her thoughts. Through all Angel had been through the past half a year, she realized how unfair she'd been, parading her girlfriend around Giles' farm.

"So with what happened with you and Buffy," Kate continued, jarring Faith from her thoughts, "is that going to complicate the whole Simone thing?"

"Shit." Faith shook her head. "So much has happened since you left, and you haven't even been gone a week."

"Fill me in," Kate implored. "If you're not going to be faithful, the least I can do is wrack up your credit card bill with international phone charges."

A smart retort caught in the back of Faith's throat. Instead she chose to ignore Kate's wounded jab. She had to give the shape-shifter credit; she was taking Faith infidelity in stride. Faith took a deep breath. "So Simone got ballsy and kidnapped Willow, one of Buffy's friends."

"Oh no. She's the witch, right?"

"Yeah, that's her," Faith confirmed. "Well, so then Buffy, me, and this other slayer, Kennedy –,"

"The lesbian boarding-school brat?" Kate interrupted.

"Uh huh….will you let me tell my story, woman?"

The shape-shifter chuckled. "Yes. Please proceed."

"So anyway, we find out Simone's taken over Alcatraz Island…" Faith paused, waiting to be interrupted again. "It's a former federal prison," she continued when it appeared Kate was momentarily behaving. "Pretty scary place. So we paddle over there – all wilderness super-heroes in our lame kayaks. Long story short, we rescued Willow, and Buffy killed Simone."

Kate gave a startled gasp, not expecting Faith's words or the casualty with which they were said. "Oh…has she ever…"

"No," Faith said gruffly. "It was her first time, I'm pretty sure. Unless something happened when I was in prison and I didn't hear about it," she noted. "She's killed a lot of…demons. But never a human. I mean, even though Simone was a Slayer and had special powers, she was still just a girl."

"I suppose Buffy wouldn't think twice about killing me, huh?" the shape-shifter posed.

"She doesn't kill non-evil demons," Faith objected. "She knows things aren't black and white when it comes to, uh…" She fumbled for a word that wouldn't offend the other woman, "…super-naturals."

"But does she consider me to be non-evil?" Kate pressed.

"Good question."

Kate was silent for a moment, considering her next words. "How much longer do you think you'll stay in the States?" she finally asked.

Faith hesitated. "I'm not sure. Not long. I don't want to overstay my welcome, but…"

"…But Buffy's there," Kate finished for the other woman.

"Yeah." Faith's voice felt rough in her throat. "It's just that…after what happened with Simone, I don't wanna bail on her. She's gonna need someone when she finally admits to herself what happened."

"And you love her," the shape-shifter added.

"I know what it's like to kill someone," Faith countered soberly. "And no one should have to go through that alone."

Looking both ways to be sure no one was looking in his direction, the man pulled himself up and slid into an oversized garbage bin. He grumbled bitterly as he waded through a mixture of refuse and camping equipment the rogue slayers had left behind and the Alcatraz Park Service had thrown away.

He wistfully contemplated how his fortunes had so quickly changed. One moment he'd held a respectful and revered position, and now he was sifting through garbage for his employer. But rather than cursing his boss for his assigned task, it only spurred him on. Their mission was paramount and if he had to sift through rotting trash, he would do it.

Finding a pile of wadded up paper, the man held his breath. Perhaps he'd discovered some useful notes the witch had taken. He flattened out the crumpled sheets of paper, but frowned when he realized they were only doodles of a mohawked girl kicking off the head of a smaller-figured woman.

The man continued to labor under the hot Californian sun. He picked through the contents of the garbage bin carefully. Something the rogue slayers left behind _had _to be useful; otherwise his employer's plan of entrusting another slayer with the task of taking down Buffy Summers had been truly a failure.

Although he'd never reveal his opinion to his superior, he'd thought it entirely foolhardy to trust Simone with such an important task.

The man breathed out deeply and wiped at his brow with the back of his hand. He hoped the putrid stench of rotting garbage wouldn't be too obvious on his person during the boat ride back to San Francisco. He'd been in this hippie city for far too long keeping an eye on Buffy Summers and her shenanigans, and he longed to return home.

The glint of metal flashing in the sun caught his eye as he moved a sleeping bag out of the way. The corner of a metal-bound notebook stuck out of the garbage. "Let this be something," he murmured to himself.

He opened the book to find strings of complicated chemistry symbols and equations scrawled across the pages – clearly not the doodles of an ill-educated slayer.

The man grimly tucked the notebook into a backpack he'd found in the dumpster. Hopefully among the chemical formulas his employer would find something of use. Either way, he was going home.

Buffy returned to her apartment, and was greeted with the sounds of bickering and cheering as she walked through the front door. She walked into the living room of her rented home to find her sister, Willow, Kennedy seated around the television, watching Xander and Faith play video games.

Buffy felt that familiar pang of jealousy at the sight of Faith so cozy with her friends and family. She mentally frowned at her knee-jerk reaction. When was she going to stop being so possessive when it came to Faith bonding with those closest to her?

Standing in the archway, Buffy appraised her group of friends. Xander and Faith sat on the carpeted floor, closest to the television screen, both furiously mashing the buttons on their video game controllers. Willow and Kennedy sat beside each other on the couch while Dawn sat in an overstuffed easy chair, also watching the video game antics.

Was Simone warning her about one of them? Or was it not a Slayer dream at all?

"Buffy? What are you doing home so early?" Dawn asked when she noticed her sister standing in the archway. She glanced at the clock on the DVD player. "We haven't been playing video games for _that _long, have we?"

Buffy dropped her bag on the floor and sat beside her sister on the arm of the overstuffed chair beside her sister. "No," she sighed. "I got sent home from work. Apparently I was too distracted."

"You didn't spill any scalding coffee on some innocent costumer, did you?" Xander asked, not looking away from the television screen.

Buffy made a face. "No. I dropped a giant tray of drinks though, and I've never done that before."

"Well, everyone's allowed a mistake, Buff," Willow added helpfully. "Even you."

Unbidden, Buffy's eyes were pulled in the direction of the Boston slayer. Faith sat on the floor, her eyes glued to the television screen. She expertly mashed buttons on the video game controller.

Buffy felt her face unexpectedly flush. "What if it happens more than once?" she posed.

"You dropped _two _trays today?" Kennedy snorted. "I thought being a slayer was supposed to make you all coordinated and stuff."

Buffy shook her head. "No. Just the one tray. But that apparently was enough to win me an early trip home."

"You shouldn't have gone back to work so soon, Buffy," Willow softly chided. "You've been through a lot this past week. Even for you."

"I'm fine," Buffy said, frowning. "I just need to get a little sleep," she complained, rubbing at her overly tired eyes. "I'll be better tomorrow."

"You've been working too hard, Buffy," Dawn observed. "Between this Simone business, slaying, and your day job, you're burning your candle at both ends."

"Damn it, Faith," Xander playfully complained. He mashed a few more buttons futilely as his video game character was expertly decapitated and the words 'Game Over' flashed on the television screen. He dramatically dropped his controller on the ground, giving up. "That's three games in a row you slaughtered me. How are you so good at these?"

Faith smirked and set her own controller on the ground. "Lots of free time in the English countryside," she explained.

"It's not like I can just drop everything and go on vacation," Buffy objected, raising her voice. She scowled, annoyed to not be the center of everyone's attention. Faith and Xander had yet to acknowledge her presence.

"And why not?" her sister countered. "There's plenty of slayers in San Francisco to handle patrolling. And I'm sure you could get some time off at the coffee shop. Or quit your job and find something else when you come back."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I can't even afford my own crummy apartment. Where's this magic money for my mythical vacation coming from?"

"From Faith!" Dawn chirped.

Faith choked on the soda she had been drinking, nearly spitting it across the room. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. "What now?"

Dawn's eager grin spread across her face. "It's perfect. I'm sure we could pull together enough money to fly you to England." She gained momentum and excitement about her plan the more she spoke. "You could stay with Faith at Giles' place and totally get away from all of this for a while. You could clear your head out in the English countryside."

"Uh, no offense, you guys," Faith noted uneasily, "but England with me might not be the best idea for Buffy right now. I've got a brooding vampire to take care of still," she reminded the group. "That might be a little…awkward."

"I can't leave now. The timing's all wrong," Buffy stubbornly insisted. She shook her head. "I can't take a vacation," she repeated. "What happens if Simone's little group tries something again?"

"Between you and Faith, you've got them scared straight," Kennedy chuckled. "Shoulda killed Simone ages ago, and we could have avoided this whole big mess."

"Ken," Willow hushed her former partner.

Faith hazarded a glance at Buffy for the first time since she'd come home from work. Her earlier phone conversation with Kate echoed in her mind. Denying Buffy the opportunity to get away from San Francisco and her responsibilities was wrong. The blonde would never come to terms with the death of Simone by her hand if she was constantly in a state of agitation and worry. She could only properly heal if she didn't have a job to rush to, bills to pay, and nightly patrols to take care of. What Buffy needed was time.

Faith mentally shook herself. She knew offering Buffy a room at Giles' country farm was the right thing to do. She couldn't imagine what it would be like bringing Buffy to England with her and having her brooding, still broken ex-boyfriend schlepping around the farm, but the house was large enough, she reasoned. Maybe she, Buffy, and Angel could ignore each other if it got a little crazy. Or someone could stay at Giles' flat in London. Maybe _she _could escape to London and let Buffy and Angel hash things out. Maybe seeing Buffy again would be the magic Angel needed to get over what he'd done. Maybe they could heal together.

Faith released a shuddered breath and gave the Chosen One a lopsided, dimpled grin. "I think Dawn's right, B. You deserve a break from all this. You should come to England with me."

Buffy's hazel-green eyes widened, surprised that Faith had changed her mind so easily.

"So what do ya say?" Faith offered. "You ready for a little R and R?"

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16: Across the Pond**

"Why won't my seatbelt work?" the blonde woman panicked. She frantically mashed the two ends of her seatbelt together, only to have them fall apart.

"Relax, B," Faith soothed. She reached over the armrest that separated her from the elder slayer. She effortlessly snapped the metal links into each other and tightened the belt around Buffy's lap. "It's just a plane takin' us back to England. It's not flying us into a Hellmouth."

Buffy grimaced. "I know," she grumbled. "It's just I don't like these things much," she said waving her arms around the large, intercontinental airplane.

Faith grinned at the woman seated next to her. "Afraid?"

Buffy pursed her lips together. "Don't judge."

Faith's gaze elevated to catch the eye of a passing flight attendant. "When we're in the air, how about I get you some liquid courage?" she offered.

"It's noon. Not exactly my idea of an Early Bird Special," Buffy said, making a face. "I'm fine. I promise."

The plane's engines revved as the jumbo-jet began to taxi. The blonde reflexively grabbed onto Faith's lower thigh and squeezed.

Faith cringed in pain. "Not at this rate," she muttered lowly. "God help me if there's turbulence along the way."

Buffy's hold on the other woman's knee tightened. "Turbulence?" she squeaked under her breath. "Why would you say that?"

The Bostonian blinked, quickly realizing her mistake. "What? What is this tur…bu…lence you speak of?" she stated, pretending to stumble over the foreign syllables.

Buffy's hazel-green eyes were wide open and she stared straight ahead, horrified.

"I think it's time for a drink," Faith chuckled.

"I told you I don't need one," Buffy said stubbornly.

"Yeah, it's for me."

"Why? You seem calm enough," the blonde questioned.

"I am," Faith confirmed. "I just want the ice for my bruised leg. You've got quite a vice grip on ya, Blondie."

Buffy looked down and was surprised to find that her hand was still clutching Faith's thigh. She immediately loosened her grip and reflexively rubbed the area that was sure to be bruised later. "Sorry," she mumbled. "You okay?"

Faith gave a tense nod. "Yeah, just remembering that slayer strength can be a bitch," she remarked. She looked down at Buffy's hand, which continued to rub her thigh. "But…if you feel like rubbin' a little north of that spot, I think I can forgive the pain."

The blonde's features crumbled in confusion. "Huh?"

Faith nodded in the direction of Buffy's hand. "Move your hand any higher and we'll officially be in the Mile High Club."

Buffy jerked her hand away from the brunette's leg, a horrified look splayed on her face. "You're such a pig," she complained. She turned her head to look out the window in hopes of ignoring the other slayer.

Buffy watched the scenery outside the San Francisco airport. Other planes bustled around their respective runways and small trollies of luggage carts scooted across the pavement. A sudden feeling of dread washed over Buffy. Being on an international flight was discontenting, but not as uncomfortable as how'd she'd feel once in England. Not only would she have to see Faith on a daily basis once abroad, there was also Angel to consider.

Their plane momentarily stopped taxiing and the engines revved once again before take off. Forgetting her temporary disgust with her sister-Slayer, Buffy sucked in a sharp breath and her hand clamped back down on Faith's knee.

The Bostonian jerked in her seat, surprised by Buffy's movement, but also startled by the sheer hand strength of the elder slayer. Buffy could probably crack walnuts with her bare hands. Faith worried for the stability of her kneecap.

It was going to be a long flight.

When the airplane reached cruising altitude and the seat-belt sign was turned off, Faith reached above her head and pressed the flight attendant call button.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "You shouldn't play with those buttons," she chastised. "We could get sucked outside if you hit the wrong one."

Faith stared incredulously at the small blonde. "You're not serious, are you?" She pressed the call button once more, just to irk the Chosen One. "Careful, B," she taunted, her fingers on the buttons. "You'd be the first one to go since you have the window seat."

Buffy lunged for Faith's hands and grabbed them away from the buttons above their seats. "I said _stop _it," she hissed in a controlled tone, not wanting to garner the attention of their co-travelers.

At that moment, a flight attendant appeared in the aisle. The uniformed woman cleared her throat. "Can I help you?"

Both slayers looked at the airline employee with wide eyes. Buffy guiltily dropped her hands back onto her lap.

Faith easily regained her composure and awarded the flight attendant a dazzling, dimpled grin. "I hate to bother you, but I need a drink. Anything with ice will work." 

The stewardess smiled back. "I'll see what I can do for you." She hesitated, her eyes clearly drawing across Faith's seated figure. "I don't peg you for a soda or juice type of girl."

The brunette slayer's mouth twisted into a familiar smirk. "You read me well."

Buffy couldn't help but notice how the flight attendant's eyes raked over her sister-Slayer. Nothing about this woman was subtle. "You're probably into something a bit stronger and smooth," the auburn-haired employee stated, leaning slightly against the back of a passenger's seat. "I'll get you something nice on the rocks." She turned to walk away and looked back once with a shy smile.

When she was certain the stewardess was out of earshot, Buffy leaned toward Faith. "I think she was hitting on you," she noted with a furrowed brow.

"Nah," Faith stated dismissively, her eyes trailing the employee's swaying backside. "She smiled and said like one word." 

"First off, those where full sentences,'" Buffy pointed out, "and secondly, she shouldn't be hitting on you. How does she know I'm not your girlfriend?" 

Faith raised an eyebrow at the elder girl. "But you're not my girlfriend." 

"That's not the point," Buffy protested. Her bottom lip popped out. "The point is that you and I know that, but she doesn't." 

Faith considered the blonde. "Why you gettin' so worked up?" 

"I'm not," the blonde deflected defensively. She crossed her arms across her chest. "I just don't like rude people." 

Faith nodded towards the small television screens located in the seat backs in front of them. "How about you take a break from all your worrying and enjoy the movie that's playing," she gently suggested. "It looks like it's right up your alley with that girly romantic crap."

"It's not crap," Buffy soured. "But I've seriously watched this movie over 100 times, and I don't feel like watching it loop for the next million hours," she whined. She looked around the plane, feeling mildly claustrophobic. "I need something to get my mind off of this."

Faith lifted an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? I can think of one." 

Buffy set her jaw hard. "If you mention the Mile High Club one more time, I _will _hurt you."

"B," the younger slayer whispered. Biting her bottom lip, her voice became louder. "Buffy." Faith cursed in frustration as she tried to wiggle her arm out from beneath Buffy's sleeping form. "_Fuck_, woman," she complained. "I'm starting to go numb in this position." 

Buffy's hazel-green eyes slowly fluttered open. "Yea?" she mumbled. She looked around as though she'd forgotten where she was. "What's going on?" 

Faith winced as if in pain. "My arm might need to be amputated, that's what's going on," she grumbled. "And we've landed." 

"Seriously?" Buffy sat up in her seat and Faith gingerly removed her left arm from behind the blonde's torso.

Mid-flight Buffy had finally relaxed enough to fall asleep, and her head had lolled onto Faith's shoulder. Rather than waking the sleep-deprived girl up, Faith has soldiered through the remainder of their intercontinental flight with her arm pinned behind Buffy's sleeping form. Plus, having the blonde's head resting against her shoulder hadn't exactly been unpleasant – if you didn't count the pins and needles sensation that shot through her limb when it went numb from non-use.

"Has anyone ever told you that you sleep like the dead?" Faith pounded her bicep, coaxing circulation back into the limb and flexed her fingers. "I don't think I'll get the feeling back in my fingers for a week."

"Stop exaggerating," Buffy blustered. She felt her cheeks redden and she rearranged her ponytail that had loosened in her sleep. "You'll be fine."

"Says you," Faith retorted. "I need my fingers for –."

Buffy held up a hand. "Let me stop you right there."

"…playing piano," the brunette finished with a cheeky grin. "Boy, B," she mocked. "When did you turn into such a pervert?"

Not waiting for Buffy's response, Faith stood up to grab their carry-ons from the overhead compartment. The plane began to empty as passengers had reached their final destination or left for another connecting flight.

Buffy rubbed at her eyes and stretched her arms above her head. "That wasn't so bad," she commented through a stiff yawn.

Faith shook her head and shouldered her backpack. "I can't believe you chose sleep over joining the Mile High Club."

Buffy cocked an eyebrow at her sister Slayer. "Is it really that hard to believe?"

Faith smirked at the sleep-tussled blonde. "Unfortunately, no."

Buffy stared out the rear passenger-side window of the black town car and watched as the city life of England faded away and was replaced by rustic charm and fieldstone houses. She'd been surprised when a driver had been waiting at baggage claim of Heathrow International, holding a sign that read "Miss Lehane and Summers." When she'd questioned Faith about the limo service, the Bostonian had merely shrugged as if preferential treatment had become commonplace.

Their vehicle bumped along cobblestone streets, passing small-town pubs and small, weathered, country folk. They'd been driving non-stop for the past hour and a half. The sky began to darken along the horizon.

Faith and Buffy had remained relatively silent since their flight had landed. Buffy had tried to make nervous small talk in the car, but Faith had only responded with one-worded replies and a series of grunts and sighs.

The blonde hazarded a glance at her co-passenger. Faith stared silently out her own backseat window at the passing scenery. Buffy mentally mused if the other slayer was beginning to regret inviting her along. She'd been chatty and amiable enough on the flight – even characteristically flirty – but now only silence and the rhythmic hum of their town car's engine filled Buffy's ears.

The driver slowed the car, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and turned left onto an unpaved road. The tires crunched over loose gravel and the vehicle bounced along the rocky road, kicking up stones and dust.

Thick trees engulfed their vehicle, making it hard for Buffy to gain purchase on their new surroundings. But Faith seemed unalarmed, so Buffy sat back in her seat as well. The tree-line began to thin after a few minutes, and the sky suddenly opened up. Acres of lush green grass and rolling hills replaced the dense forest.

Buffy sat up straighter and craned her neck. In the distance she could just make out a tiny spec of a dwelling. As their car drew closer still, Buffy reorganized her thoughts. No longer a tiny spot on the horizon, she could now appreciate the grandiose mansion and the farm-like buildings that dotted the property.

She'd continually heard Faith refer to Giles' country home as a 'farm' or a 'cottage', but nothing about the impressive structure before her personified quaint, modest, or humble as she'd earlier imagined. The mansion looked to be three stories tall and was constructed from very old, but very sturdy-looking stones. A paved circular drive formed a moat-like driveway in the front and a patio with an impressive pergola jutted from the east wing.

Buffy whistled lowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Faith smirk, but the ghost of a smile faded quickly when their vehicle came to a stop.

"Home, sweet home," Faith murmured.

"Home, sweet mansion, you mean," Buffy corrected.

The brunette slayer shrugged once again and stepped out of the vehicle and into the English twilight.

Buffy grabbed her too-large suitcase from the car trunk and followed Faith through the front door. Faith walked casually into the farm house like she owned the place. Well, technically she _did _own the place, Buffy reminded herself.

She wasn't sure why she felt so intimidated. It wasn't as though large houses were foreign to her – she'd lived in a _castle _in Scotland the previous year, after all.

"You wanna say hi to Angel?" Faith offered. She dropped her modest duffle bag on the ground. "He's got the third floor to himself. We put up black-out blinds up there so he wouldn't have to worry about sunlight. I joke that he's like some crazy, old biddie livin' up there. All he needs is 20 cats." Faith sucked in a deep breath. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Buffy merely nodded. It was somewhat reassuring to know the brunette was just as uneasy as she was.

Faith gave the blonde a fleeting smile. "How about I start over again? Do you want the grand tour?"

Unbidden, Buffy yawned and sheepishly covered her mouth.

Faith chuckled. "I'm boring you already, huh?"

"No. Sorry. You'd think that sleeping for most of the trip would have me up and ready to go." Buffy shook her head. "God, I'm tired," she complained. "I can't wait to get into bed."

As soon as the words escaped her mouth, Buffy realized her mistake. "Alone," she quickly added, shooting a challenging glance at the brunette.

Faith grinned deeply, showing off her dimples. "You make it _way _too easy, B."

The blonde slayer wrinkled her nose. "Whatever. I just didn't want you to be getting any funny ideas about sleeping arrangements."

"Well, there's plenty of extra bedrooms on the second floor," Faith noted, nodding in the direction of the staircase, "so you can have your pick. Mrs. Cribbage should have fresh sheets up there, too."

"Cribbage?" Buffy rose an eyebrow.

"The housekeeper."

The blonde's face was unreadable. "I should have guessed. Where do you sleep?"

"Me?" Faith squeaked, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "Second floor. The master bedroom's on the first floor, but…" She trailed off.

Buffy nodded. "I understand."

The two slayers stood awkwardly in the front foyer. Buffy glanced longingly at the staircase that led to the second floor. She didn't want to be rude, but she really wanted to crawl into bed. It would be nice to actually sleep in a _bed _in a proper bedroom, and not a futon in a cluttered, back office.

"So…I guess I'll see you in the morning?" the blonde noted. She rocked slightly on her feet.

Faith nodded. "Yeah. I'll give you a tour of the house and the grounds after breakfast or something."

Buffy chewed on her bottom lip. "Um, thanks for letting me stay here, Faith. I know it was Dawn who suggested the trip, but thanks for going along with it. I'm not sure if it'll actually help anything," she sighed, "but it's kind of nice getting away from everything, even if it does feel a little like I ran away."

"It's not running, B," Faith said, shaking her head. "You're just giving yourself a little space."

The blonde frowned. "I can't avoid forever."

"Uh, speaking of which…I've been meaning to ask…" Faith hesitated, her eyes dropping to the floor. "I left the States. So, uhm, does that mean we have to talk about…yunno…"

"You left _California_," Buffy stated matter-of-factly. "But you didn't leave _me. _So I think we can still postpone our conversation."

Faith's features revealed her relief. "But it's going to happen at some point, right?"

Buffy nodded. "One of us will leave, eventually." She turned to ascend the staircase. "Good night," she called over her shoulder.

Faith watched the other woman climb the stairs to the second floor towards the guest bedrooms. "One of us will leave," the brunette whispered, echoing Buffy's words. "But not willingly," she mumbled to herself.

Bleary-eyed, Faith padded down the staircase towards the kitchen on the ground floor. It was early in the morning, but having adjusted to California-time over the past two weeks, her stomach had woken her up, demanding dinner.

Faith walked past Giles' study, and paused when she realized someone was in the room. She stiffened, reflexively alarmed. "Who's there?" she called out threateningly.

"Just me."

The Boston girl's shoulders relaxed at the sound of Buffy's voice. She took a few steps into the library and found Buffy seated on a large ottoman near a large picture window. "What are you doing down here at…" She looked at the grandfather clock in a corner of the room. Its face was illuminated with moonlight. "…3:00 am?"

"I got lost," came the simple reply.

"This place is big," Faith acknowledged, "but it's not that big."

Faith heard a small sigh come from the blonde. "Fine. I got lazy and didn't feel like walking back upstairs to my bedroom."

"So sitting in the dark and staring out a window is a good alternative?" Faith pressed. She took a few more steps into the room. Her eyes better adjusted to the dim light.

"It's kind of nice to think that Giles was once here," Buffy stated. "I can almost feel his presence in this room. It's…soothing."

Faith nodded. "A little creepy if you ask me, but in a good way."

Buffy gave a weak, tired laugh.

Faith absentmindedly rubbed at her bare arms as she looked around the darkened room. "Honestly, I think this is one of my favorite places to be when I'm here," she agreed. "I feel at peace for a change when I'm reading or doing something in this part of the house."

"It's a really nice house," Buffy observed. "From what I've seen at least. Is the place in London similar?"

"It's nice. It's different," Faith acknowledged with a curt nod. "I actually like it better out here in the country. I thought I'd miss the city life, but it's kind of nice being so isolated," she admitted. "Nobody nosin' around."

Buffy looked interested. "I thought London would totally be your style."

"It was fun for a while, but I like the freedom and privacy out here. I guess all that time in prison made me crave open spaces."

"Sounds like the opening of a country-western song," Buffy murmured. She pulled her blanket tighter around her.

Faith allowed herself an easy laugh. "At least now I'm not living in some dumpy trailer home."

Faith glanced at the small blonde who continued to remain seated in the dark room. "Aren't you cold?"

Buffy shook her head. "The blanket and my butt being planted on this spot for an hour has generated up enough heat to make it comfortable."

"Want me to bring you upstairs?" Faith offered. "That way, you can stay bundled up. And I'll promise to not try anything sneaky on you."

Buffy sighed. "No, I'm okay."

"Okay then..." Faith hesitated, not sure if she should stay as she sensed the blonde wanted to be alone. "Try to get some sleep soon," she urged as she began to retreat from the room. 

"Faith?" 

"Yea, B?" 

Buffy turned her head. "Stay?" 

Faith's heart leapt in her throat. "You sure?" she managed to croak out. 

"Uh huh."

Faith quietly walked beside the other slayer and sat down next to her. The two sat in silence. Faith continued to rub at her arms, trying to generate some body heat. The damp chill of the early English morning soaked into her bones.

"You sure you wanna stick to calling this room soothing? I could build us a fire or something," she offered, nodding in the direction of the large stone fireplace. 

"Come here." Buffy offered Faith a spot under her blanket. 

Faith glanced at the open space beside the blonde. "I'm okay," she insisted gruffly. 

Buffy frowned. "If you don't move your butt, Lehane, I'll move over there. Hurry up," she prodded. "I'm losing heat here." 

"Fine," Faith grumbled as if being close to the blonde slayer was torture.

It was a kind of torture, however, being so close to Buffy and yet not being able to act on it. Instead, the two slayers sat in the darkness wrapped up in the wool blanket with only pale moonlight spilling through the windows illuminating the room.

The silence was too much for Faith, and she had a question weighing heavily on her mind since her phone call with Kate. "Was Simone your first?" she asked hesitantly, treading carefully over her word choice. "I know you didn't…in high school. But I guess I don't know much about what went on in your life after that though."

Buffy glanced sideways at the Boston slayer. "My first? You make it sound like I had sex with her."

Faith gave a start. "You didn't, did you?"

Buffy stared at the brunette, blinking.

"Just checking!" Faith back-peddled. "I never know about you, Summers."

"She wasn't my first." Buffy shook her head slowly and stared straight ahead. "Back when you were in prison, when the Hell Goddess, Glory, tried to destroy the world by getting back to her dimension, there was a cult of fanatical guys calling themselves the Knights of Byzantium."

Faith snickered. "Knights of Byzantium? Were they performers at Medieval Times or something?"

Buffy's lips twisted. "Same costumes at least. I'm not sure if I really killed any of them." She shrugged. "I didn't stop to check. I was desperate," she explained. "And they were desperate to kill Dawnie." She shook her head. "I couldn't let that happen."

"Well, Simone was desperate to kill you, too. She's not exactly an innocent," Faith gently pointed out. "Not like when I killed…" She stopped abruptly when her words choked her. "Damn it," she said softly, shaking her head. "And here I thought this was supposed to be therapy for _you_."

Underneath their shared blanket, Buffy grabbed onto Faith's hand and squeezed.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 16**

Faith could sense sunlight streaming onto her face even though her eyes were still closed. It was bright and warm and created a yellow-orange glow on the backs of her eyelids. "Oh my god," she groaned upon waking and finding her body stiff with sleep. "I need a new bed."

The Boston slayer moved to get up, but found that the left side of her body was weighted down. "What the hell," she murmured.

Finally opening her eyes, she realized she wasn't in her bedroom. Instead, she was in Giles' study, lying on the couch. And Buffy Summers was laying on half of her body.

Memories from the early morning hours came flooding back. She'd made her way downstairs at an unearthly hour in search of food, but had found Buffy sitting by herself in the dark in the library. She couldn't remember falling asleep downstairs. It was an uncomfortable feeling – reminding her of a not-so-distant past when she'd lose hours after drinking too much. She hadn't been drinking last night, however. But the mixture of jet lag and Buffy Summers was enough to make her black out, apparently.

She tried wiggling her arm, which was pinned beneath Buffy's body, but found it numb again from non-use and the weight of Buffy's form. "This girl has a vendetta against my left arm or something," she mumbled to herself.

Faith craned her neck to stare at the deeply slumbering girl. Buffy's eyes were lightly closed. The sunlight played against her light eyelashes. The brunette felt her throat constrict. "B?"

Instead of waking up, Buffy rolled onto her side and snuggled her face into Faith's neck, further crushing Faith's arm.

Faith stiffened, fully aware of Buffy's breath lightly playing against her bare neck. "Shit."

The Bostonian bent of her knees with the intension of scooting herself higher on the couch. Unfortunately, Buffy bent her knee too, straight into Faith's crotch. It didn't hurt, but it certainly wasn't the most ideal situation to have the girl of her dreams pressing into her sex. Well, it could have been ideal, but not in this context. When Faith tried to remove her knee, Buffy only brought her into a tighter snuggle.

"Frickin' boa constrictor." Faith stared at the blonde beneath her. She smiled to herself and instinctively moved to stroke Buffy's hair away from her face. "At least you're a cute boa."

Buffy's head shifted in her sleep, moving away from Faith's neck, but she replanted in the hollow of the brunette's throat. "You feel so good," the blonde mumbled.

Faith's eyes widened. "B?" she choked out. She tried to shake Buffy awake with her free hand. "You gotta wake up."

"Don't wanna," came the muffled reply. Buffy's mouth moved against Faith's clavicle with her stubborn refusal. Faith sucked in a sharp breath, unwilling to let the sleeping blonde inadvertently turn her on. But she was failing miserably. 

Buffy made a moaning noise that sounded unintentionally sexy. She burrowed her face deeper into the blankets and Faith to hide her eyes from the too-bright sun. Her nose rubbed against Faith's skin. "Your scent is nice," she remarked. "It would be nice on me."

At the realization of her own words and the fact that she wasn't alone or dreaming, Buffy finally opened her eyes. Her line of sight was greeted with a view of Faith's cleavage peaking out from the top of her low-cut tank top. Startled and momentarily forgetting where they were, Buffy pushed herself off the other slayer, and in so doing, pushed herself off the couch and onto the floor.

Faith rested on her elbows at the edge of the couch and peered down at the fallen slayer. "Graceful, princess." 

"Was exactly what I was going for," Buffy mumbled, her face flat on the carpeted study floor. 

Faith smirked at the other slayer. "Sooo... about you liking my scent and wanting it on you..." 

Buffy waved a hand in Faith's direction, but didn't look or get up. "Shhh... It's too early, Faith."

The Boston woman could see Buffy's body heave once as the blonde released a deep breath. Finally, she pushed herself off the floor and gingerly came to her feet.

Faith appraised the flustered girl. "You good?" 

Buffy nodded, not ready to meet the brunette's gaze. "Yup. Never better."

Buffy began to back out of the room, not ready to face Faith. She stumbled over a stack of books and the hardcovers scattered onto the floor. "Oops. Sorry. I'll pick those up later," she apologized hastily. She ducked her head and tried to hide her face behind her loose blonde hair. "I'm just gonna head upstairs," she called behind her.

Faith gave a slight nod, but said nothing. She watched through the study archway as Buffy hurried up the staircase. The Chosen One stumbled again on the first steps and quietly cursed.

Faith remained on the couch, amused, as the embarrassed slayer tried to retreat with her dignity.

Only when Buffy was finally out of earshot, she allowed herself to laugh. 

After forty minutes of Buffy not reappearing downstairs, Faith decided to check in on her sister-Slayer. She knew the other slayer was no doubt embarrassed to have woken up buried in her cleavage, on top of falling off the couch, but that was no excuse to ignore her for the rest of the morning.

The brunette knocked on the closed door to Buffy's borrowed room. "Buffy? You okay in there?" she called through the closed door.

She waited for a moment, but heard no response.

"If I come in and you're sleeping again, I'm gonna toss you over my shoulder and drag you out, cavewoman style," she warned loudly. She tried the door handle, and finding it unlocked, she slowly opened the door.

"I'm coming in," she stated louder still, "so you better not be naked." Faith opened the door more fully. "It's not healthy to…" She paused, finding the bedroom empty and the bed neatly made. "…sleep this much."

Faith's forehead crunched in confusion. Where had Buffy taken off to and how had she snuck past Faith? Faith hadn't moved from the study couch at the bottom of the stairs except once to use the bathroom. She momentarily considered that maybe Buffy had taken it upon herself to visit Angel on the 3rd floor. Her mood instinctively darkened at the thought, but before she could begin to throw herself a pity party, she spied a flash of blonde hair out of Buffy's bedroom window.

Faith went to the glass pane and saw a small blonde figure outside. The other slayer appeared to be tromping through the tall grass, away from the mansion cottage.

"Shit," Faith cursed.

The Boston slayer flew out of Buffy's bedroom and clomped noisily down the stairs. Not bothering to put on a jacket or shoes, she ran out the front door dressed only in a tank top and cotton pajama pants. 

"Where the fuck does she think she's going?" Faith mumbled to herself as she ran, barefoot, down the front driveway. Buffy hadn't seemed to be in any hurry, and the brunette hoped she'd run her down before the blonde could make her way out to the main road.

As she continued to run, sticks and rocks biting into the soles of her feet, Faith imagined the throttling she'd give the smaller slayer for trying to sneak away.

Faith pushed out a deep breath of relief and slowed her frantic run when she spied the familiar blonde near the horse stables. Buffy stood near the large wooden fence that surrounded the grazing fields wearing jeans and a light sweater. Apparently the runaway hadn't really been running away.

Faith tried to control her ragged breathing, and she prayed she didn't look too disheveled and sweaty from her panicked sprint. The tall grass around the fence posts felt damp against her bare feet and she sunk a little into the wet ground. "Hey, Twinkie," she nonchalantly greeted, stepping next to the Chosen One.

Buffy glanced alongside at the taller brunette. "You're still in pajamas?" she questioned.

Faith scratched at the back of her neck. "You left without telling me where you were going."

Buffy raised a skeptical eyebrow. "When did you turn into the prison warden?"

"I thought you took off or got lost," Faith admitted with a shrug. 

"I'm not going anywhere. Also, I'm not five," Buffy pragmatically pointed out. "I won't get lost." 

"Really?" Faith questioned, her amusement reaching her dark eyes. "Can you find your way back to the house then?" 

Buffy's gaze went in the direction where she remembered the path leading up to the main house being located. Although the grounds weren't that large, a line of dense trees surrounded the property and the main house for privacy. From her location down at the barn, she couldn't clearly see the house.

"Um... sure," she said unconvincingly. 

"Go right ahead then," Faith said, gesturing for Buffy to do so. Her momentary panic was fading, but she still wasn't going to let Buffy off that easily for scaring her. The brunette smirked as she watched Buffy spin in a half circle, trying to regain her bearings.

Buffy began to pout. "Who said I'm ready to go back in?" she challenged.

Faith laughed at the blonde's frustrated look. At the sound of the easy, genuine laugh, Buffy admired her sister-Slayer's features for a moment.

"You're so different out here," the Chosen One remarked.

"I'm just _different_, B," Faith shrugged. "But you never took the time to notice it."

Buffy turned away from the dark slayer in favor of the horses galloping in the large fenced-in grazing area. "I'm afraid of you," she said in a voice little more than a whisper.

Faith scoffed. "Of little old me?"

Buffy nodded, but didn't look over at the brunette. "I'm afraid of how you make me feel."

"How, uh," Faith cleared her throat, not sure where the conversation was going, "how do I make you feel?" _Oh, God. Was this The Talk?_

Buffy's lips pursed. "Not like myself."

The two slayers were silent as they continued to watch half a dozen horses racing around the estate's grazing land. A loud whiny from the grey-speckled mare caught Buffy's attention.

"So…" Buffy started, breaking the awkward silence. "How many Buffy's do you need in your life for it to function, Faith?"

The Boston girl's eyes went wide, alarmed by the question. It sounded like a trick. Or the beginning of a bad joke. "Um…one?" she hazarded. 

Buffy's lips scrunched together. "Guess I should go home then." 

"Hey, what brought this on?" Faith demanded. "I thought we were on the same page with the Kate thing." 

"I wasn't talking about that." Buffy nodded towards the field where the off-white horse was running around freely.

Faith chuckled, realizing she'd been caught. "I see you met my riding partner." 

Buffy smirked. "Thought that title was reserved for me." 

The blonde's unexpected comment took the Bostonian by surprise, but she merely laughed. Faith pretended to take out an imaginary book. She flipped through its pages and scrolled down. "I'm sorry, Miss," she drawled in a fake British accent, "but unfortunately there has been some miscommunication. I cannot find a reservation under your name, Miss Summers." 

The Chosen One pretended to be shocked. "Really?" she exclaimed, bringing a hand up to her heart. "There must be a mistake. Please check again," she implored.

Faith continued to look at her invisible book. "Sorry," she grinned. "I've looked under both 'pretty' and 'cute.' Nothing."

Buffy took a step closer to the brunette and leaned in to look at the pretend book. "Are you sure you don't want to check again?"

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"

"I think so…" The small blonde leaned in further so the two were nearly face to face. Breath to breath. "I think you'll find success under 'Smokin' hot,'" she whispered.

Faith audibly swallowed and nodded. "I'm sure you're right," she managed to whisper a weak reply. 

Buffy winked and gave the younger slayer a cheeky smile. "Always am."

The Boston slayer released a shaky breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Now take me riding, please?" Buffy playfully begged. "Once you put on real clothes, that is." She began walking towards the barn. 

"You sure you don't want to do a try a different type of riding?" Faith called after the blonde. "One that's more private...I seem to be better dressed for that, anyway." 

"Ha-ha, nice try," Buffy deadpanned. "You sure that's not just your way of telling me you can't ride?" she taunted over her shoulder. 

Faith's forehead lined. "Oh, I can ride. I'll show you just how much I can ride," she grumbled to herself.

In a bedroom across the Atlantic Ocean and thousands of miles across the United States, Willow sat on the edge of her bed, her head bent forward. Her face was scrunched up, deep in thought, as she scrutinized the contents of a notebook.

Kennedy strolled into the bedroom and pulled out a dresser drawer to find pajamas. She noticed the redhead's actions and shook her head. "You're still reading those same notes?"

"Yeah," Willow replied absentmindedly, not looking up at the slayer.

Kennedy frowned. Ever since leaving Alcatraz Island, it had been the same thing day after day. She'd get home from nightly patrol and find Willow poring over the contents of a notebook she'd tried to recreate from her captivity. In all the chaos of that evening, Willow had unintentionally left her notebook behind, but had immediately started to recreate the chemical formulas.

"If ya read them anymore, ya might just burn a hole through the paper."

"Yea…" Willow echoed.

Kennedy shrugged off the woman's lack of attention. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes," she noted. "There's a few dishes from dinner that need to be cleaned."

She hovered in the bedroom, waiting for some kind of acknowledgment from the other woman. Finding none, she rolled her eyes and stomped out of the bedroom.

Willow gave a frustrated noise and threw the notebook on the floor. "Goddess, what am I missing?" she cried out. "_Tara_, if_, _if you're watching over me… can you please drop me a hint before my eyes fall out?"

From another room in her apartment, Willow heard the distinct crash of dishes falling to the linoleum floor.

Before she could get off the mattress to investigate the noise, Kennedy rushed back into the bedroom with a dishtowel wrapped around her hand. "Do you have a first aid kit or something?" She grimaced back a wave of pain.

Willow's eyes widened with concern. "What happened?"

"It's nothing major," the dark-haired slayer stated. "Got clumsy when I was cleaning the knife." Kennedy pulled the bloody rag away to take another look at the wound. "I think it's already healing," she smirked.

Willow stood and pushed Ken towards the adjacent bathroom. "There's supplies in there," she stated. "You'll find a kit under the vanity."

Kennedy smiled warmly at her former girlfriend. "Thanks," she acknowledged. "Do you mind pre-soaking this towel? I don't want to stain your stuff while I clean myself up."

Willow smiled and took the bloodied towel from the slayer. "Yeah, I got it. You sure you don't need me to help?" she offered. "I really don't care about a rag."

"I'll be fine," Kennedy assured. "But I wouldn't mind if you played nurse with me after." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Willow felt her face flush hot. She couldn't deny that she was still wildly attracted to the dark-haired slayer. Kennedy had always had a confident charm to her, even before becoming a full-fledged Slayer. But they weren't together any more. Not like that.

They'd talked about their situation at length after returning from Alcatraz. Willow had ended her relationship with Kennedy, and she was resolved to stay broken up until she better dealt with the fact that magic no longer existed for her. Or found a way around the no-magic loophole. Kennedy would always remain powerful. Willow's power, aside from one random floating pencil, was gone.

Willow knew that having Kennedy stay with her while Buffy was abroad in England was probably a bad idea. But after being kidnapped, having a slayer bodyguard sleeping on her living room couch helped her sleep better at night.

Willow cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Go bandage your hand, Slayer," she lightly ordered.

Kennedy flashed the former Wicca a cheeky grin and disappeared into the bathroom.

Willow shook her head and left her bedroom to wander into the kitchen. The sink was filled with sudsy water, slightly pink from either tomato sauce or Kennedy's blood. Willow wrinkled her nose. Or probably both.

On the floor was the dirty pan leftover from the casserole she'd made them for dinner. She imagined Kennedy had accidentally knocked it to the floor when she'd sliced her palm on the butcher knife Willow had used earlier to chop tomatoes and onions.

The redhead bent over to pick up the fallen dish, but just as her hand brushed against the metal container, it shot up into the air. Willow gasped loudly and jumped backwards. Just as her pencil at Alcatraz Island had levitated, so too was the baking pan she'd intended on picking up from the floor.

Willow stared at the bloodied dishrag crumpled in her fist and at the floating dishpan. And all the pieces suddenly fell together.

"Oh my Goddess."

Buffy stood on her tiptoes, trying to reach for a loaf of sandwich bread that seemed to just be out of her reach. "Damn tall people," she muttered to herself. "Why do you have to put your food up so high? Scared bears are going to get it or something?" She huffed and puffed, straining to reach the food that currently evaded her. She knew she could call out for Faith's help, but she didn't want to give the brunette girl the satisfaction.

"Damn it, Kate," a voice behind her swore. "Can't you just be yourself every once in a while? You're starting to look more like her each time I see you." 

Buffy spun on her heels at the sound of her ex-lover's familiar voice. She stared at Angel with wide eyes. The undead man wore dark clothes and a scowl. "Um…thanks?" 

Angel frowned hard at the girl. "Can you change?" he demanded sourly, a slight shadow of a whine clinging to his words. "I can't talk to you like this." 

"Why not?" 

Angel's forehead lined and his eyebrows furrowed together. "It's too hard... and it feels wrong." 

"I like looking like this," Buffy responded flippantly. 

Faith strolled into the kitchen, unaware that Angel was up and wandering around the house. He normally stayed upstairs until the sun was safely dipped below the horizon.

When she spotted the vampire and the blonde slayer together, her stomach dropped. This wasn't how she wanted him to find out Buffy was here. She'd thought she'd have more time to gently break the news to him. 

Faith's face felt hot. "Hey, Angel," she chirped a little too loudly and cheerfully. "I'm glad you're here; I've been trying to get a hold of you to tell you that –."

Buffy hustled next to Faith and grabbed onto her hand. "That we're back," the blonde finished for her sister-Slayer. She flashed Faith a desperate look and squeezed her hand hard.

Angel made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. "Can you ask her to change, Faith? She's being exceptionally difficult today." 

Faith glanced at the blonde, and then down at their still-enjoined hands. "I don't think I can make her do anything these days..." 

Buffy cleared her throat. "I kind of think that decision would ultimately be mine, and I can honestly say I don't feel like changing, Angel." 

"Fine, I'll leave," Angel huffed. "You women are difficult," he snarled. "Just let me grab my blood, and I'll be on my way." The souled vampire grabbed a ceramic mug and a package of blood from the freezer. He paused before leaving the kitchen. "Welcome back, by the way." His voice had lost most of its hardened edge.

Faith grinned. "Thanks, big guy." She flicked her eyes towards Buffy who had dropped her hand and now was apparently pretending to be interested in the pattern on the kitchen counters. "We'll have to catch up later so I can tell you all about San Francisco." 

Angel nodded stiffly. "Just tell me that Buffy's okay."

Faith once again glanced in the direction of the blonde. "She's okay," she told the ageless man. "In fact, she's _so_ okay that she's even traveling the world and working on skills like bossing people around." 

"Sounds like she's back to her old self," Angel laughed to himself. He stalked off, leaving the kitchen and the two women, retiring back to his 3rd floor rooms.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Buffy demanded, her tone horrified and offended. " 'Sounds like she's back to her old self?' " 

"Never mind that," Faith grunted. 

Buffy's lower lip stuck out. "I'm not like that. Am I?" 

"Why'd you do that, B?" Faith demanded, changing the subject. "You were pretending to be Kate, weren't you?" 

Buffy dropped her eyes to the ground. "It's not my fault," she weakly protested. "He surprised me. He walked in and automatically thought I was her."

"But you could have corrected him," Faith pointed out.

"I'm not ready to deal with him just yet," Buffy mumbled. "He gave me an out. And I took it."

Faith shook her head. "I knew I should have warned him you were coming back with me."

Something flashed across Buffy's face. "Yeah. Why didn't you?"

"I didn't know how he'd react to the news," the brunette replied honestly, "but I didn't want to get yelled at." Faith frowned. "I know he considers this place his 'sanctuary' and me bringin' you was gonna ruffle Soulboy's feathers."

Buffy gave her sister-Slayer a wistful smile. "I guess we're both guilty then. We both should have told him." 

"Fair enough." Faith sighed. "This rehab thing includes you talking to him sometime. You know that right?" 

"I'm very much aware of the situation, Faith," Buffy stated, her hazel-green eyes flashing. "And I will. I'll talk to him. Just like you and I will talk. But for now... I'm _Kate_." 

Faith's eyebrows rose. "So you're gonna pretend to be a girl who's pretending to be you... again?" 

"Pretty good idea, right?" Buffy beamed, feeling proud of herself. "So start calling me Kate around him or you'll blow my cover." 

Faith groaned. "And how long is this gonna go on for?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes at her sister-Slayer. "Until I say so."

++++++++++++++++  
>TBC<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 18**

_Suggested Listening: "The House that Built Me" – Miranda Lambert_

****Faith walked into the darkened library, not surprised to find her sister-Slayer seated on a couch, illuminated by pale moonlight. She set her glass of water on the desk near the archway. "Another sleepless night?" 

Buffy stopped her window gazing to look at the Boston woman. "Don't take this the wrong way, but it feels cold here." 

Faith's generous mouth twisted into a small frown. "You regret coming now?" 

Buffy shook her head. "No, not at all. It's just that guest rooms tend to leave me feeling that way. Also, your guest room is gigantic," she observed, "so it doesn't help with the empty feeling." 

Faith nodded her understanding. "I guess not." 

"Giles' study, however, has a lot of life in it," Buffy noted, looking around at the well-worn room. The walls were filled with bookshelves, all overflowing with oversized hardcover tomes. "I like the warmth that it brings." 

"The couch isn't that comfortable though, B," Faith pointed out. "We know that from experience." 

Buffy shrugged helplessly. "It's not, but I'll deal with a strained neck for some actual sleep." 

Faith scoffed. "Yea, you sleeping sporadically during the day isn't too good either." She paused, thinking. "Come here, B," she said, and offered the blonde her hand.

Buffy blinked, staring at the other woman's outstretched palm. "Where are we going?" 

"To sleep. Where else would we be going?" 

"Oh." 

Faith smiled reassuringly. "Just follow me, Princess..."

Buffy took Faith's offered hand, lightly holding onto the tips of her fingers. She stood up, more under her own power than from Faith helping her up. Faith rearranged her hold on the blonde's hand, gripping it more firmly. She pulled Buffy's arm and led her out of the quiet, dark study towards the staircase.

"I can't get to sleep up there," Buffy childishly reminded the other slayer while allowing Faith to lead her up the wooden stairs.

Faith nodded, but didn't look back at the blonde. "I know," she remarked as she continued to lead them up the tall staircase.

At the top of the stairwell, Faith turned left into her bedroom. Although Faith had her pick of any bedroom in the entire house, she'd chosen one of the smaller spaces. She could always change her mind later on, but when she'd originally moved into the country farm estate, she'd still been uncomfortable with the grandeur of her property.

The room was simply furnished with a queen-sized bed and a few other antique-looking pieces of furniture. Along one wall was a large wooden wardrobe that looked as though it led to Narnia. In a back corner was a desk and wooden chair.

Faith walked the blonde over to her bedside and pulled back the quilt and top sheet. "No strings attached," she murmured.

Buffy chewed on her lower lip and hazarded a glance at the taller slayer who still held onto her hand. Faith returned a gentle, reassuring smile. Finally, making her decision, Buffy climbed onto the bed. The mattress was firm, with just enough give. Faith crawled in behind the other woman, careful not to slide too close.

Buffy rolled onto her side, not facing Faith, and began rearranging herself on her pillow along with the quilt and the crisp white sheets. The room and the clean sheets were cold against her skin. She reached behind her and patted around as if searching for something. Her hand continually bumped into Faith.

"Uh, can I help you find something?" Faith asked, amused.

"Left hand, please."

Obeying, Faith lifted up her own arm and pushed it toward Buffy's hand. The blonde grabbed onto it – the same hand that she'd held on her way up the stairs – and pulled Faith's arm until it settled around her waist.

The Boston woman made a noise in the back of her throat, but said nothing. She wasn't going to verbally complain if Buffy wanted to continue this uncharacteristic closeness. And she was afraid that mentioning it would end it all. Instead, she remained silent and moved in closer to Buffy.

The blonde's light scent filled her nostrils and she breathed in deeply through her nose. Buffy's body slightly stiffened, and Faith immediately regretted even breathing. She worried that perhaps the other slayer had suddenly spooked.

Buffy spun in bed and turned to face Faith. The blonde searched her sister-Slayer's emotionless face. "You're okay with this, right? I'm not invading your personal bubble or something?" 

Faith blinked. "I brought you in here, didn't I?"

Buffy smiled and once again turned away, her back to the brunette.

The two slayers laid in comfortable silence.

"Want that left hand again?" Faith called out into the darkness of her bedroom.

"Yes, please."

The blonde slayer woke up to sunshine warm on her face. "Mmm…this is nice," she murmured, eyes still closed. Despite her earlier grumblings about the English farmhouse feeling cold, she now felt warm and comfortable. She rolled around on the bed and reached for the woman she remembered was sleeping next to her, but to her surprise, she found herself sleeping alone.

Buffy opened her eyes and frowned upon discovering Faith had disappeared. The blonde sat up in bed and looked for signs of her sister-Slayer. "Faith?" she called out.

She heard noises coming from the adjacent bathroom and then the brunette reappeared through the bathroom door.

"Where'd you go?" Buffy asked sleepily. She raked her fingers through sleep flattened hair.

Faith grabbed a zip-up hoodie out of the wardrobe and pulled it on over her t-shirt. "It's past noon, B," she chuckled, nodding toward the sunshine streaming through the slatted blinds. "I'm not a bed bum like you."

Buffy buried her face back into her pillow. "I'm confiscating your bed," she said in a muffled voice.

"Besides doing that," Faith remarked, walking toward Buffy's bedside, "what else do you feel like doing today?"

Buffy stretched her arms above her head and spread out more on top of Faith's mattress. She let her arms fall back down on top of the down-pillows. "How about more sleeping?" she proposed with a tight yawn. 

Faith shook her head, and pulled on a pair of boots. "Not an option, B. You've gotta get out of bed."

Buffy propped herself on her side and pulled the covers back, revealing the mattress space beside her. "What if I said you could join me on this nap?" 

Faith smirked. "Tempting, but if I'm gonna be jumping into bed with you at this hour, sleeping isn't what I had in mind." 

Buffy sighed, disgruntled. She flopped back down on her back and stared up at the ceiling. "If you won't let me sleep, then I wish to have a tour of this place." 

Faith sat down on the edge of the mattress and searched for her wallet under the bed. "I actually don't think there's anything left for you to see here," she said in a muffled tone. "You kind of did a self-tour yesterday." 

"I meant the city," Buffy clarified. "Well... the closest city to here. You live in a secluded no-where land." 

Faith looked back up and momentarily considered Buffy's request. Or rather, Buffy's _demand._ She didn't venture out into the neighboring village too often, preferring to keep to herself on the isolated farm. But since Buffy was on "vacation," she supposed it would only be polite. "Okay," she conceded. "We can go exploring."

Buffy thrust her fist in the air in victory. "Can I drive?" 

"Absolutely not." 

The blonde's previous glee fell from her features. Her arm fell back down limply at her side. "Why not?" 

Faith snorted. "Cause I like my life and I happen to like yours, too." 

Buffy stuck her bottom lip out. "I'll be extra careful. Promise. I'm a good driver now." 

"This is ridiculous. No, woman," Faith said, shaking her head. "If you want to do it that badly, drive in the driveway."

Just then, a quiet rap on the semi-closed bedroom door interrupted the slayers' discussion.

"Hey, Faith?" Both women immediately recognized Angel's voice in the hallway. "You still haven't told me about your trip," he called through the door. Both slayers watched in uncomfortable anticipation as the bedroom door started to slowly open. "You think you have time –."

Buffy's eyes went wide seeing her ex-lover stroll into Faith's bedroom. She grabbed a startled Faith firmly by the back of the neck and pulled her down towards her. Faith released a tiny noise of surprise before she found her mouth silenced by Buffy's very hot and eager lips.

Angel walked into the room, but stiffened when he saw Faith and "Kate," cozy in Faith's bed. He muttered a word of apology and hastily left the room.

Buffy surged forward, diving more deeply into the kiss. Her hands grasped at the sides of the Faith's face. The brunette's lips slightly parted and Buffy slipped her tongue into Faith's waiting mouth. Just as Faith felt small, strong hands slide down to her hips, she pulled her face away. 

Faith leaned her forehead into Buffy's. "I'm pretty sure he's gone now," she breathed.

Buffy closed her eyes and licked her lips, tasting Faith's mint toothpaste. "Just being on the safe side," she murmured. 

Faith swallowed hard, trying to ignore the urge to take advantage of the situation. _Buffy was underneath her, in her bed._ "Yeah," she rasped. "Better safe than sorry." 

Buffy's eyes fluttered open. "Thank you for going along with this." 

Faith admired the smaller slayer's features through slightly lidded eyes. "No problem. Not like I really had a choice," she pointed out with a quiet chuckle. "You basically molested my tongue. Feeling kind of violated, B." 

Buffy scoffed and pushed Faith off of her, breaking the slight spell the two had fallen under. "Slayer, please. Like you didn't enjoy it."

Faith could only grin in reply.

"So where are those car keys?" Buffy asked, pulling herself out of bed.

The smile quickly fell from the Bostonian's lips.

The two slayers exited the farm house and walked out onto the circular driveway in front.

Buffy stared up at the cloudless blue sky and pushed her oversized sunglasses off her forehead and onto her upturned nose. "It's a beautiful day," she observed. 

Faith nodded. "It is. Not a bad choice in activity, Queen B." 

There were a number of cars lined up in front of the farm house, but Buffy walked immediately to a small red car that better resembled a tin can than a sporty or luxury vehicle. Not hesitating, Buffy walked to the driver's side of the car and looked expectantly at Faith.

Faith raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What do you think you're doing?" 

"Please?" Buffy pled, batting her long eyelashes. "I wanna take it off of my bucket list." 

"I don't know what worries me more, the fact that you have a bucket list at this age or the fact that driving in England is on your list," Faith noted, shaking her head. "Sad, sad list," she clucked. 

Buffy pouted more fiercely. "Judge all you want, just hand me the keys." 

Faith rolled her eyes and tossed the blonde the car keys. "Fine." 

Buffy quickly slid into the driver's side of the small vehicle. She grinned eagerly as she started the car. "Watch as I amaze you." 

Faith scrambled to put on her seatbelt and she gripped onto the handle above the passenger side window. Noting the Boston woman's dramatics, Buffy rolled her eyes and shifted the car into first gear.

And the car stalled.

Faith unfastened her seatbelt. "Nope. Out." 

Buffy glared at the brunette as she exited the vehicle and walked around the front of the car to the driver's side. "Oh, calm down," the blonde complained. 

"Your task was accomplished, B." Faith looked down at the paved driveway and noted the distance the car had moved. "See, you drove a whole inch."

Buffy gave the other woman a surly look, but unfastened her seatbelt and climbed out of from behind the wheel. "Fine," she grumbled. "But I'm gonna drive later."

Faith took the keys and flashed Buffy a cheeky grin. "But you did manage to amaze me, B."

"Really?" Buffy smiled hopefully at the other slayer.

Faith nodded. "Yep, how you manage to make me feel like my life is at risk within a matter of a second is a skill unmatched by any in these lands."

+++++

Faith pushed out a deep breath. "Remind me how this helps with your rehab?"

Buffy paused to glance into the front window of a small shop. "I'm also a recovering shopping addict," she remarked in all seriousness. "This will wean me off of it.

Faith stopped walking as well, waiting for the lingering blonde. "You haven't bought anything yet, and we've been in and out of like 5 million shops today. How do you have the energy to keep walking?"

Buffy looked over her shoulder at the brunette. "I can see that someone hasn't been keeping up with their slayer training..."

Faith stood straighter and cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but I totally would have been kicking rogue slayer ass back in San Fran if you hadn't dispatched me to go hunt down your best friend," she blustered, her pride hurt.

Buffy waved off the protesting slayer. "Yeah… yeah..."

Something in the shop window caught Buffy's attention and she stayed cemented to her spot. Faith continued to walk, unaware that Buffy remained behind. "You know, it's not so much that I can't physically handle your endless shopping," she remarked. "It's the fact that my mind is purposely willing itself to death at this point..."

Faith paused, waiting for Buffy's retort. But not hearing any, she turned her head. "B?" She spun around completely and found Buffy still standing in front of the jewelry shop window. "What'd you find there?" she called back.

Buffy touched her fingertips to the glass pane. "The most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Come look at it, Faith," she revered. "It's gorgeous."

Faith walked up next to the blonde. "Gorgeous, yes," she remarked. "Most beautiful thing I've ever seen?" She hazarded an unnoticed glance at the blonde beside her. "Not a chance..." The brunette was pulled out of her thoughts by a buzzing noise. She pulled out her vibrating cell phone from her back pocket. "Why don't you go in and ask to give it a 'lil test drive?"

Buffy raised her eyebrows at the brunette. "Are you smoking nowadays?"

"No, just telling you that it wouldn't hurt." Faith looked back down at the phone and grimaced. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I've really got to take this call, but go ahead inside. I'll be in soon."

Buffy hesitated, not really wanting to wander around on her own, but finally nodded and went in the jewelry shop. A tiny bell rang as she entered the store.

A store employee, a tall man dressed impeccably in a tailored suit, walked out of the back of the store. "Hello," he greeted pleasantly enough. "How can I help you, Miss?"

Buffy looked down at her outfit of blue jeans and top and felt wildly underdressed. But this man didn't know she wasn't some laid-back American heiress who could totally afford to buy everything in this shop, she reasoned. It wasn't going to hurt to just _try on _some jewelry. She was on vacation, after all. Well, kind of.

She cleared her throat, shaking off her second thoughts. "Hello," she returned the polite pleasantry. "I was wondering if I could possibly try on the blue sapphire piece that you have in the window over there?" She motioned toward the window at the front of the store.

The employee nodded curtly. "Let me go check, Miss. I'll only be a moment."

The man turned briskly on his heels and disappeared through a door at the back of the shop.

Faith looked through the front window and watched Buffy talking to a store employee. Confident the little blonde was fine on her own, she answered her still-buzzing cell phone. "Hey stranger," she drawled in greeting. "Haven't heard from you since San Fran…was beginning to worry."

"I'm sure you've been... pre-occupied," Kate's voice chirped in reply. "I'm sorry I haven't been returning your calls though."

Faith rubbed the back of her neck and flicked her glance back towards the store window and saw Buffy still standing inside. She felt _guilty_ for being on the phone with Kate with Buffy nearly within earshot. When they'd returned to England, Faith had called and left Kate numerous messages letting her know she was back at the farmhouse and that Buffy had come along with her for some rehab. This was the first time Kate had called her back, however.

"I'm just glad you finally did. You really shouldn't just disappear like that, Kate," Faith chastised. "If it wasn't for the fact that I can check-out the activity on the credit card, I'd have thought you were dead or something."

Kate sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll pay you back when I see you again."

"I could care less about the money," Faith noted gruffly. "I just want to know how you are."

"I guess you could say I've been engaged in some of my own personal affairs." There was a hint of devilish playfulness in her voice.

Faith cringed. "_Ouch._ Am I that easy to get over?"

Kate chuckled pleasantly. "Oh, stop fishing for compliments, Lehane. You know you're hot stuff. My situation over here is complex to say the least," she noted wistfully. "My ex came back to town, and I've decided to try talking to her again."

Faith couldn't help the suddenly flash of jealousy. "No. Are you serious? How is that going?"

Kate hesitated. "Um… slow. But, um, can I call you back another time? I know I'm the one who called you, but I'm kinda busy right now."

"Sure thing."

"Maybe I'll stop by the farm house this weekend or something."

Now it was Faith's turn to hesitate. "Uh, sure. Yeah. That would be fine," she stammered. "Just, uhm, give me a heads up if you plan to do that, okay?"

"I will," Kate confirmed. "Talk to you later, hun."

"Bye, Kate."

Faith hung up and returned her cell phone to her back pocket. She was sure inviting Kate to the farmhouse was a bad idea, but maybe the shape-shifter would change her mind and not want to see her until Buffy headed back to the States. She thought she owed it to the girl to try to work things out or at least make amends for cheating on her, but if Kate was so gung-ho about reuniting with her ex-girlfriend, maybe what they'd shared together the past few months hadn't been all that significant to Kate. Or maybe they were just at a point in their relationship where they could both move on.

Her pride hurt for the second time that day, Faith walked into the jewelry store to track down the blonde slayer.

"Unfortunately, the piece 'Fou Amoureux' to which you are referring is not to be disturbed," a tall shop employee told Buffy. "I apologize for inconveniencing your time. But it is beyond my powers."

Faith could tell the Chosen One looked crestfallen by the refusal.

"Is there anything else that I could assist you with?" the shop employee asked. The words came out of his mouth, but the sincerity wasn't quite there.

Buffy gave the man a forced smile. "No, it's okay. I just really wanted to see that. I guess I'll stop wasting your time. Have a good day."

The shopkeeper sniffed. "If that is all, Miss, do have a good day."

Buffy turned around and nearly bumped into Faith.

"Careful, Princess. Don't wanna be a bull in a china shop or whatever that weird saying is," she chuckled. "What's the hurry? All jewelry'd out? Was I outside that long?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, you weren't."

"Why'd you take off that necklace then? I wanted to see how good you made it look," she smiled warmly.

A frown crept onto the Chosen One's lips. "That guy over there said it's not to be touched. I should have known though," she sighed, "it's worth like 10 of my paychecks."

Faith frowned as well. "Nothing's too costly to be touched, Twinkie. If that's the case, why the hell make it then?" Her voice rose ever so slightly to make sure the store employee heard her.

The Englishman's eyebrows rose in alarm. "The piece is quite delicate. Its rarity is unmatched by our other collections. If you would like to try on another _reasonable_ piece, I have a fine line over here towards the front."

"This is the guy that 'helped' you?" Faith asked, jerking her thumb in the man's direction.

Buffy nodded.

Faith set her mouth hard. "Hey, Sir Douche. Get the lady what she asked for."

Buffy looked horrified. "Faith, it's okay," she hissed. "Rules are rules." She flashed an apologetic look at the store employee. "I'm sorry about her." She grabbed Faith's wrist and pulled her toward the exit. "C'mon, Faith. Let's go."

Just then, another man in yet another impeccable suit came out of the back of the store. He was just as tall, but a little fuller around the belly than the first man. "What's the ruckus about up here?" He stopped when he saw the two women. "Marcus, you should had told me we had customers." He gave Buffy a warm smile and nodded a greeting at Faith. "It's good to see you, Miss Lehane."

Faith allowed her anger to subdue. "Hello, Hector."

"It's been some time since I've seen you," the store owner observed. "How are you?"

Faith's lips twisted. "Dandy. At least up until a few minutes ago."

Hector's eyes widened slightly. "How so? Is there anything I can help you with, dear?"

"Yeah. I would like for _that _necklace," she stated, pointed at the front window display, "to be placed around _her _neck."

Hector immediately grabbed for the keys in his back trouser pockets. "I don't see why that would be a problem. Why was such an uproar needed?" He laughed to himself.

Faith looked sour. "Tell that to him."

Hector flashed a warning look at his employee. "Marcus, what was the issue?"

The employee struggled with his response, but Buffy cut in. "He seemed to have misplaced the key to the display."

"Is that true?" Hector raised an eyebrow.

Marcus pursed his lips, hesitating. "… Yes…"

Hector waved his hand flippantly. "Silly boy, there's only one set for the front displays, and those are on me." He walked to the front display window and looked back at Faith "Don't be too upset with Marcus," he appeased. "He's new at this."

Hector pulled out the beautifully decorated necklace and brought it over to the two slayers. He grandly draped it around Buffy's neck. He grabbed a small, circular mirror so Buffy could appraise her reflection. "There you are, Miss."

Buffy gently touched the extravagant necklace that lay against her collarbone. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice little higher than a subdued whisper.

Faith stared at the blonde's chiseled clavicle. "That piece is lucky to be on you."

Buffy made a face. "Seriously. How does it look?"

Faith smirked. "Stunning." Without looking at Hector, the brunette slayer said, "I'll take it, Hec."

"What?" Buffy spun around to appraise her sister-Slayer. "No. Faith. That's crazy. I don't care _how _rich you think you are, this is too much."

Faith shook her head. "It belongs on your neck, so why deny it of its rightful place?"

Buffy frowned at the other girl. "If I see you swipe a credit card or pull out a comically large money bag to buy this, I'll go back to San Francisco on the next plane."

The smile fell from Faith's lips. "But –."

Buffy held up her hand, stopping Faith. "No buts."

Faith stuck out her full bottom lip in an uncharacteristic pout. "Fine," she huffed. "We'll just go then. 5 million and 1 shops without buying a thing." She made a check-mark in the air. "Check."

Buffy laughed and it sounded like the most pleasant tinkling of bells. "Shut up."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Uh huh. What do you say we get outta here? All this not-spending-money is making me itchy."

Buffy laughed and shook her head. She gently handed the storeowner the necklace back and bit on her lower lip. It would be too easy to take Faith up on her extravagant offer.

Buffy exited the front of the shop, the tiny bell tinkling. Faith gave the storeowner, Hector, a curt wave in parting. She shot a deadly glare in Marcus's direction. The man quickly averted his eyes and pretended to busy himself with inspecting the glass countertops.

Hector's hearty laugh followed the two slayers as they left the store.

Faith caught up with Buffy. "Why didn't you let that asshole get hammered back there?" she asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't feel like raining on his day."

Faith shook her head and smirked. "You're too nice for your own good, B."

Buffy's hazel-green eyes twinkled in the sunshine. "So where to next?"

Faith audibly groaned. "How about a park bench? I'll even settle for a curb at the moment."

The blonde woman rolled her eyes. "Shopping noob," she scolded.

Faith's jaw dropped and she placed her hand against her heart as if wounded. "Did the Great Buffy Summers just 'noob' me?"

Buffy laughed. "Yes. Yes, I did."

The Bostonian smirked. "Do you even know what that means?"

Buffy nodded fiercely. "Yes… Dawn and I had a long conversation about this term once."

The two slayers, feeling uncharacteristically carefree for once shared a laugh.

As the two slayers walked down the cobbled sidewalks of the quaint English town, they were unaware that just a few yards away, their actions were being watched.

A man sat in a wheelchair, partially hidden in shadows. He pursed his lips and watched in quiet anger at the two blithe women. His withered hands clutched at the mechanized wheels of his mobile prison.

"Enjoy your day, Miss Summers," his lips moved. "Because it will be one of your last."

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 19**

Buffy walked into the library to find Faith sitting on an ottoman with her back turned towards the room's entrance. A fire was burning in the oversized stone fireplace, crackling lightly in the background. Buffy stood still, momentarily undetected, and watched her sister-Slayer's back muscles shift beneath her thin shirt as she turned the pages of the local newspaper.

"Do you need an invite?" Faith asked, not needing to turn around to sense the other woman's presence.

"Maybe I was just admiring the view," the blonde teased. Buffy smiled and skipped into the room. "What are you up to?"

"Reading the paper," the Boston-born woman stated, not looking up from her reading. "How about you, Princess?"

Buffy looked down at the serious-looking slayer. Despite the late hour, Faith still wore her pajamas – a v-neck t-shirt and cotton pajama pants. Her dark, twisting hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Seemingly out of place on her face was a pair of thin black, rectangular glasses that made her look more like a sexy librarian than a dangerous slayer.

"When did you start wearing glasses?" Buffy asked, her mouth twisting into a smirk.

"Since I got old," the brunette murmured. She turned another thin page. "They're for reading."

Buffy sat in front of the ottoman, positioning herself between Faith's legs.

It was only then did the brunette slayer look up from her reading and noticed the blonde's sudden proximity. She started to shift, as if to leave, but Buffy looked to the side and placed her hand on Faith's thigh.

"You're leaving?"

"No. Just readjusting myself so you have some room."

"I'm fine, Faith," Buffy assured the brunette. "You don't have to move. If anything, I invaded _your _space." 

Faith folded the newspaper to condense the space it occupied. She returned to the story she was reading and the room was once again bathed in relative silence.

Buffy sighed.

Faith smirked and rustled her newspaper. "Can I help you with something, Twinkie?"

Buffy turned her head to look at the younger slayer. "I thought you'd never ask," she beamed triumphantly.

Faith removed her glasses and rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "Oh god," she groaned. "What is it this time?"

The Chosen One worried her bottom lip. "Could you possibly give me a massage? I just need a neck massage," she said quickly. "I'm starting to get a headache, and I just want it to go away before it gets worse."

"Sure thing, Princess," Faith nodded. "I'll have someone sent here to give you an hour long session," she stated in a business-like tone. "Just give 'em like 30 minutes to get here." 

Buffy frowned at the brunette.

"Uh, I mean _two hour _long session?" the darker slayer self-corrected.

Buffy sighed, disgruntled. "Never mind." 

Faith stared down at the back of Buffy's stubborn, blonde head. "What happened to you wanting a massage?" 

"I wanted _you _to give me a massage." 

Faith pursed her generous lips. "Between me and someone who's trained at doing this type of stuff, I'd hope you go with the trained person." 

"Logically that would be the choice," Buffy admitted. "But I don't need you to go out of your way and hire someone just for a neck rub. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Plus, you're free," she added. 

"That's what you think," Faith chuckled. "Wait 'til you see my bill for your English spa retreat."

When Buffy's frown deepened, the brunette relented. "Fine," Faith scowled. "Scoot closer."

Faith started working her hands through Buffy's hair. "You know, if you're really trying to be Kate," she mused aloud, "she never _demands _massages. She's polite and asks for stuff."

"I_ did _ask."

Faith laughed. "Yeah, but I really didn't have a choice now, did I?"

The brunette hit a particularly tender spot at the back of Buffy's neck, pulling an involuntary moan from Buffy. "God, that feels good." 

Faith cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I'm glad you're feeling better?" Her voice cracked on the words.

Buffy wiggled a little beneath Faith's strong fingers. "I know I might be asking too much... but do you think you can work your way lower?" 

"Uh, sure," Faith blinked. Her hands stilled. "Where?" 

Buffy's shoulders lifted and fell in an elegant shrug. "I don't have an exact spot. Can you feel it out?"

"Yeah. Sure."

Faith's fingers worked their way south. She kneaded Buffy's tense shoulder blades through her t-shirt, feeling the muscles snap and pop beneath her fingertips. "Geez, that's a lot of crud," she murmured.

She continued to move lower still, working her thumbs along the bony ridges of the blonde's spine. Her fingertips ran down Buffy's sides until she made her way down to Buffy's hips. She gripped onto Buffy's left hip and with her right palm began to administer deep-tissue massage into her slender back.

After a quiet moment, Buffy spoke again. "You don't have to stay on top, you know." 

Faith's hand worked in small, deep circles. "What are you talking about?" 

"You can go under the shirt," Buffy said matter-of-factly. "It'll probably feel better anyway. And easier on your hands than fabric, I'd imagine." 

Faith raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You're sure?" 

Faith watched the back of Buffy's blonde head nod the affirmative. "I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't," she noted.

Not needing further encouragement, Faith slipped her hands beneath Buffy's shirt. She bit her bottom lip to stifle a moan as her palms slid over lotion-smooth skin. She'd nearly forgotten just how _soft _other women felt. Faith sucked in a sharp breath, and steadied herself before continuing her deep-tissue ministrations.

She thought she was doing a fine job at keeping her cool, but her fingers continued to catch on the straps of the other woman's bra, causing it to awkwardly snap against Buffy's skin.

Faith moved subtly closer to the smaller slayer and leaned in. "I'm gonna undo your bra, okay?" she breathed into Buffy's ear. "It's getting in the way."

Without waiting for permission, Faith's fingers slipped under the lacy band strapped against Buffy's side. The Californian stiffened for a second, but wordlessly nodded her head. Without additional hesitation, Faith unfastened the back clasp, leaving Buffy's bra to hang loosely from her shoulders.

The brunette continued to take her time, kneading her fingers into Buffy's flesh. Every so often, just the tips of her fingertips brushed along either side of the blonde's naked breasts. And every so often, a small sigh fell from Buffy's slightly agape mouth.

Faith's stomach felt like it was a twisted jumble of nerves. The more she worked to ease the tension in Buffy's neck and back, the more it unnerved her. She was wildly conscious that in this position, with Buffy's bra hanging lax against her skin, she had full access to Buffy's breasts. She could very easily slide her hands to the blonde's front and cup her modest breasts in her palms. It would be so easy to move just a little closer to those pert breasts. So easy to feel their slight weight in her hands. To squeak the supple flesh and feel Buffy's nipples harden against her palms. So easy to dip her head down and suck on that bare piece of flesh where Buffy's neck connected with her shoulder. So easy…

Someone cleared their throat near the room's entrance and Faith's hands flew out from under the elder woman's shirt as though she'd been caught with her hands in the cookie jar.

Mrs. Cribbage stood in the entryway. "Ms. Summers," she said, eyeballing the two young woman like a disapproving mother, "you have a telephone call from your sister."

Buffy nodded her thanks to the woman, unable to meet her eyes. She felt her face redden from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. "I'll be right there. Thank you, Mrs. Cribbage."

When the housekeeper stalked away, Buffy stood up and refastened her bra beneath her t-shirt. She rearranged her clothes. The blonde paused before leaving the library. She bent at the waist and pressed her lips against Faith's mouth.

"Wha-what was that for?" The kiss had lasted only a few seconds, closed mouth, but it still left Faith dazed.

Buffy's lips curved into a small smile. "Because I'm sure Kate would do that." She walked away from the brunette slayer. "Just trying to live up to the part," she called over her shoulder. 

Faith's grin widened as she watched the other woman walk away. She fell back onto the ottoman after Buffy left the room.

The telephone conversation with Dawn had been brief. Her sister had been calling to make sure she'd arrived in the foreign country without incident and that both she and Faith hadn't killed each other yet. Buffy repeatedly apologized for not calling her sister earlier. She'd honestly forgotten that someone back in the States would be worrying about her.

Although Dawn hadn't said the words, the phone call was a reminder that Buffy had been postponing the inevitable. There were some very important conversations she needed to have before she could return to her friends and family in San Francisco.

Faith met her sister-Slayer at the front staircase. She noticed the troubled look on Buffy's face. "Hey, B? You okay?"

Buffy leaned against the wooden railing. "Yeah." She frowned deeper as the reality that she wasn't truly on vacation continued to settle in.

"Is everything okay back home?"

Buffy nodded, still thinking. "Yeah, Dawn filled me in. There hasn't been any backlash from the rogue slayers going back to their slayer cells or quitting the life. And it looks like Kennedy and Willow are getting back together. Everything seems to be going back to normal." She sighed wistfully. "It almost seems too good to be true."

"Then what's with the frown-age?" Faith lightly touched Buffy's arm. "Is something else wrong? Did Dawn say something stupid? 'Cause you shouldn't let all that Little Sister stuff she says get to you."

Buffy shook her head. "No. Sometimes I think she's more adult than I am," she remarked. "It's just that I hate it when Daw—."

The front door opened and Angel walked in.

Faith grabbed the back of Buffy's neck and pulled her in for a passionate kiss against the staircase's railing.

Surprised by the dark-haired slayer's action, Buffy didn't immediate response to Faith's mouth moving against her own. After a quick second, however, she parted her lips and allowed the brunette to slip her tongue along her bottom teeth and deepen the kiss. Buffy audibly moaned into Faith's mouth and gripped tightly to the bottom of the brunette's t-shirt.

Angel grumbled inaudibly when he noticed the girl-on-girl groping in the hallway. He walked past the two women without a word and stalked up the staircase towards his third floor rooms.

With difficulty, Faith pulled away when she heard a door slam upstairs.

Buffy touched her fingertips to her kiss-swollen mouth. Her face was slightly flushed, and she was breathing heavy. "Is that the way you plan to make my frown turn upside down?"

Faith took a step backwards, affording the other girl more personal space. Buffy released her hold on the other woman's shirt. "No, uh, Angel walked in. Didn't you notice?"

"It's hard to concentrate on anything when you kiss me like that," Buffy admitted.

Faith ignored the blonde's comment. It was too confusing. "You were talking about Dawn," she reminded the other slayer. "That's something Kate wouldn't have done."

"Well then thank you for that then."

Faith shrugged, turning her gaze downward. "Nothing to be thankful for," she grunted.

Buffy touched the brunette's dimpled chin and lifted her head back up so her eyes met her own. "You're wrong. I owe you a lot, Faith." Her hazel-green eyes searched the younger slayer's face. "More than you know."

Faith smiled out of the corner of her mouth.

"C'mon," Buffy urged. "Let's get out of our pajamas." She grabbed Faith's hand and began to pull her upstairs.

"I know you said you'd be Kate," Faith warily observed as she allowed the smaller slayer to lead her to the second floor, "but I didn't think you'd want in my pants so soon."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You're a pig."

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before," Faith remarked. "So why are we ditchin' our clothes?"

"I want to spar," Buffy said, climbing the stairs two at a time. "I figure my skin's going to start crawling soon from lack of slaying. And Angel seems to be the only vampire around here."

"I guess we can do that…spar I mean," Faith noted with a brisk nod. "Not hunt Angel."

Buffy stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back at the other slayer. "Unless you had something else in mind?"

A mischievous grin settled onto Faith's lips. "I dunno. Something that still involves us ditchin' our clothes…" She bit her bottom lip before she completely lost herself to images of she and Buffy naked together. "…but we're definitely not sparring."

Buffy swatted at the younger girl and rolled her eyes. "You need a cold shower."

Faith held up her hands and gave the blonde an innocent smile. "Hey, if you're pretending to be Kate," she noted, following Buffy until they reached the guest bedroom door, "I'm just expecting the whole nine yards."

Buffy turned to face Faith and raised an eyebrow. "Are you really going to play that card?"

Faith leaned in close, practically pinning the blonde against her bedroom door.

"I'm just wanting this to be as real as possible," she breathed. She noticeably eyeballed the smaller slayer like a predator inspecting its prey. "I don't like lying to Angel, B."

"I know…and you might just get rewarded for being such a good girl," Buffy stated coyly.

Faith leaned in further, only to have Buffy slowly open the bedroom door behind her. She slipped behind the door and slowly closed it on Faith's face.

Faith pressed her forehead against the closed door and groaned. The wood was cool against her burning skin. "That reward had better be good."

Buffy grabbed her right elbow and pulled her arm across the front of her body, stretching out her triceps. She and Faith hadn't sparred in over a decade and she was admittedly a little nervous. Sure, they had _fought _hand-to-hand plenty of times since her high school days, but they hadn't trained together in quite a while.

Buffy continued her arm stretches, getting loose. The basement of the English manor had been converted into a sparring space, not too different from the one Buffy had in the backroom of the Magic Shop. It no doubt was an addition Faith or Angel had seen to since the blonde was pretty sure Giles wouldn't have needed a gym in the basement of his country estate. A set of free-weights sat in a corner, a few heavy bags and speed bags hung in another part of the space, and in the center of the room where she now stood, the floor was a thick pad of wrestling matting.

Watching Faith stretch her muscles as well, Buffy wondered if the formerly rogue slayer had the upper hand now. If it came to fists again, who would win this time? After all, while in prison what else did Faith have to do besides work out? That and making license plates. Did prisoners really do that? Or was it just on TV? And would it be rude to ask Faith about it?

"Earth to Buffy."

Buffy blinked, refocusing on her training partner. "Huh?"

Faith smirked. She cracked her neck to the side. "Were you spacing out looking at my rack again?"

"No!" Buffy protested with a small pout. "I was just thinking…"

"…About my bodacious ta-tas?" Faith continued.

Buffy made a frustrated noise. "No," she huffed.

Faith grinned, showing off her dimples. "Cause I couldn't blame ya if you were. They are pretty awesome."

Buffy couldn't help but glance in the direction of Faith's chest. Despite being confined beneath a sports bra and tank top, there was no denying Faith had an enviable chest. Realizing she'd been staring, Buffy reddened and looked away quickly.

"Uh huh," Faith clucked knowingly.

Faith grabbed two sets of padded grappling gloves and tossed a pair at Buffy. The blonde snatched them out of the air and pulled the mits on. The leather felt good against her skin, groaning and creaking as she clenched and flexed her fingers.

Despite her earlier misgivings, Buffy found herself grinning, early anticipating sparring with her sister-Slayer. It had been too long since she'd trained just to stretch out her muscles. She missed that satisfying ache that comes with knowing you've pushed your body to its limits. She hadn't felt that ache since…Faith's motel room.

Buffy flushed at instant imagery.

"Hey, Blondie." Faith once again interrupted Buffy's thoughts. She bounced up and down on the balls of her bare feet like a prize-fighter waiting for the bell. She wore tight shorts that were barely more than underwear. As she bounced back and forth, the muscles of her upper thighs clenched and flexed. "Are we gonna do this or are you gonna stare at my tits all day?"

Buffy growled. "I wasn't –."

Faith held up her gloved hands. "Save the aggression for the actual sparring, eh? I don't wanna have to take it easy on ya, Old Timer."

Buffy punched her fist into her open palm. The gloves made a satisfying snap-popping sound. "Then let's do this."

Buffy cautiously shuffled forward within arms-reach of the taller woman. Faith's wingspan out-matched her own, giving the brunette an inherent advantage. But what Buffy lacked in size, she made up for in strength and speed.

She'd always believed the Slayerline ran purer through her blood than in Faith's – not that she believed she was a _better _slayer than Faith – okay, that wasn't entirely true either. But she reasoned that because she was a closer direct-descendent of the Original Slayer's powers, her magic was less diluted. Faith's power had come from her own, via Kendra.

The two warmed up, trading light jabs and kicks that the other easily blocked or deflected. Faith leapt in the air, her hips twisting, and Buffy caught her ankle as her foot came close to connection. Buffy turned the brunette away and Faith landed back on her feet. With the movement, the blonde couldn't help but notice the slight bounce of Faith's sports bra-encased breasts. Even though it had been weeks since that confusing, heated night in San Francisco, Buffy's mind stumbled over the memory of the other slayer's naked breasts rubbing against her own and the feel of hardened nipples brushing against her flesh.

Faith failed to notice Buffy's distracted state and she launched a closed fist towards the Chosen One's face. Buffy recognized her lack of concentration too late, and closed her eyes, bracing for impact.

When she opened her eyes again, she was startled to find herself staring into Faith's pooling, chocolate irises. They were both breathing hard, lying on the basement floor, with Buffy straddling the brunette slayer.

Buffy's eyes went wide and she scrambled to her feet. "What the hell?" she hollered.

"What the fuck was that?" Faith demanded, her face twisted with anger.

Buffy's face blanched. "What did I do?"

"I think you bruised my ass," Faith complained. She rubbed at her tailbone. "Not that I don't enjoy being on my back with you on top but…" For the first time, Faith noticed Buffy's face. "…wait. Do you…do you remember any of that happening?" She sat up and regarded the other slayer. "We were sparring and then you freaked out on me. I thought we were both holding back, but then you threw everything you had at me. You were on top and then suddenly you were screaming at me."

Buffy blinked and her eyes filled with tears. Faith's concerned face swam in her blurred vision. "No," she whispered. "I don't remember."

Buffy padded down the second floor staircase towards the manor's nearly commercial-sized kitchen. Instead she found Faith, alone, boiling hot water for tea. Two ceramic mugs sat on the butcher-block island.

"Where's your house staff?" Buffy asked, looking around the kitchen area. "I think I've seen them twice since I got here."

Buffy walked closer and Faith instinctively inhaled. The blonde was freshly showered and her hair was still damp. Faith recognized the scent of her own soap on Buffy's skin. Buffy had been right about one thing – her scent _did _smell good on her.

"They like to lay low," Faith replied, busying herself with making tea rather than dwelling on the imagery of Buffy using her showering supplies. "I leave them to their work and they leave me to mine. Plus, having a vampire rattling around upstairs doesn't exactly sit easy with them."

"I met your groundskeeper," Buffy noted. She hopped up on top of a kitchen counter near the range where Faith stood. "He's the one who told me the name of your horse. That's a charming coincidence, don't you think?"

Faith shrugged unabashedly. She poured the steaming water into the mugs and passed one to Buffy. "She's a stubborn nag who likes to kick me – what else would I call her?"

"Ha-ha." Buffy blew across the top of her tea and sat perched on the countertop, looking thoughtful.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Buffy's lips twisted as if deciding whether or not to reveal her concerns to the other slayer. "These blackouts and hallucinations…I'm worried they're not just my bad luck or a coincidence."

"You've had them before?" Faith questioned. She took a tentative sip of her own tea. "I mean, before the Simone thing?"

Buffy nodded somberly and set her steaming mug beside her. "A few years back I got stung by a demon. Its venom made me hallucinate and lose track of time."

"Sounds like fun."

"It also made me think Sunnydale wasn't real and that I was a patient in an insane asylum in Los Angeles," Buffy added. "And I tried to kill my friends and Dawn."

Faith cleared her throat. "So it was a bad trip."

"That's just the Cliff Notes version of how crazy it was," Buffy confirmed with a nod. "I was literally crazy. In a straight jacket. And according to my doctors, I'd been comatose for six years. The only time I'd been lucid apparently was when I died in Sunnydale."

Faith looked thoughtful. "And you think these current lapses are somehow connected?"

"I don't know what to think," Buffy said sadly. "This is all Willow's area of expertise, not mine."

"You could call her," Faith pointed out.

Buffy nodded grimly. "I know. I will. I just want some time to let this marinate."

"Crazy in an asylum." Faith whistled through her teeth. "Shit. I missed a lot being in prison."

"We never talk about that," Buffy observed. "I almost forget that even…happened."

Faith shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "We do a lot of talking, but we never seem to talk about the important stuff. Ever notice that?"

Buffy made a face. "What do you want? A sleepover where we braid each other's hair and gossip about boys?"

Faith grinned. "How about girls?"

Buffy blanched.

"Cause honestly," Faith recklessly continued, "besides Kate and, uh, you, I'm not that experienced."

"Could have fooled me." Buffy flushed at her loose tongue. She stared at her cup of tea. It had to have been spiked. Why hadn't she thought about claiming she'd blacked out for _that_? It would have been a lot easier than trying to justify the alternative.

Faith couldn't help the familiar smirk that fell on her lips. "Well, I did get a lot of practice with Kate."

Buffy set her jaw. "You can stop now."

"So you and the sushi slayer," Faith treaded casually into dangerous territory. "How did that happen?"

Buffy worked the muscles in her clenched jaw. "Her name is Satsu."

Faith shrugged. "Don't really care."

"Attitude much?" Buffy countered.

"Listen, B." Faith's dark eyes flashed with anger. "You've got a leg up on me with the Kate thing. You know how I feel about you."

"No I don't," Buffy stubbornly challenged. She hopped down from the countertop and glared at the taller woman. "I know you're a horny pervert, but that isn't news to me. Anyway, we're not even supposed to be talking about this yet," she pointed out. "We agreed."

"You can't keep putting this off, B," Faith complained, the frustration clearly painted on her face. "You can't keep hiding. Not from me, not from Angel, not from you friends, not from this Simone thing, not from the world."

Buffy let her head fall into her hands. She'd been brave for too long. Unwanted tears began to fall. And once they started, she couldn't get them to stop.

"Shit," the brunette cursed. Her tone softened. "I didn't mean to make you cry." Faith awkwardly patted the smaller slayer's back. "I just…you gotta confront this stuff sooner or later, ya know?"

"I know I do. But it's too much," Buffy sobbed, her body shaking. "I've put it off for too long and now it's too much."

"Shhh…" Faith soothed. She rubbed circles in the small of the Chosen One's back. "Baby steps, B. You can't take it on all at once. Just one piece at a time."

Faith's ministrations seemed to calm the blonde. Her breathing came easier. "What should I do first?" she asked wetly. The stubborn tears continued to fall off her eyelashes.

"That's the beauty of it," the brunette offered hopefully. "You get to pick."

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20

Faith strolled downstairs, stretching her arms above her body as she went. After Buffy's mini-breakdown, the two slayers had gone to bed for the night. Much to the brunette's disappointment, Buffy had insisted on sleeping in her own room that night – it was the first night since their arrival that the slayers had slept apart.

Faith herself had slept soundly and without interruption, and she'd woken up with full feeling in all her limbs for the first time in a while. However, if she thought about it, she'd rather have woken up with a numb arm than miss the opportunity to be close to Buffy.

Over the past few days, Buffy had shown uncharacteristic closeness with her sister-Slayer, ranging the gamut of cuddling to kissing. Faith knew that part of the blonde's recent show of emotions was due to looking for the familiar in an unfamiliar environment and Buffy's need to avoid Angel. She hated to hope that what was developing between them was turning into something more, however.

The sounds of clattering pots and pans brought her out of her thoughts and into the kitchen where she found Buffy at the range top cooking what could only be described as a breakfast omelet. Although, beyond eggs, Faith wasn't sure of what other ingredients the Chosen One had used – the pantry and fridge's contents seemed to be scattered around the kitchen countertops.

Faith stood in the entranceway and watched Buffy for a moment. The other slayer seemed oblivious to her presence. Buffy stood at the stovetop, tapping one foot, humming a wordless tune, and stirring a slurry of eggs and other (hopefully) edible ingredients in a skillet.

"Morning?" Faith finally called out.

The blonde slightly jumped and turned to greet the other woman.

"Morning," Buffy replied. Her face flushed an attractive pink.

"What's with the Betty Crocker-ness?" Faith asked, looking at the disaster that had once been a clean kitchen. She inwardly groaned. Mrs. Cribbage was _not _going to be happy if she saw her kitchen in such chaos.

"I'm making breakfast for us," Buffy chirped. She turned off the top burners and hefted the large skillet towards the island where two plates waited. She divided the omelet in half and it slid out of the pan onto the plates. "I promised you a reward for being…I don't know…decent to me."

"Decent." Faith rolled the syllables around on her tongue. The blonde had an interesting talent for words.

Buffy pushed back some stray blonde strands that had fallen across her forehead. "You know what I mean," she blustered.

Faith looked a little dumbfounded. "So this is my reward for good behavior? An omelet?" 

Buffy's lower lip stuck out as she regarded the two plates of steaming eggs. "What? I think it's sweet." 

Faith held up her hands in retreat. "Don't get me wrong... it _is _sweet. But I thought your cooking was something usually reserved for getting information out of a bad guy."

Buffy frowned. "Whatever. My cooking's not_ that _bad. I don't know how these rumors get started." 

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh," she said, unconvinced.

She picked up a fork off the countertop and stared at the food as though expecting it to fight back. She stabbed a chunk of eggs and brought the mouthful to her lips. She looked at Buffy's expectant face. Finally, not wanting to disappoint the other slayer, she took a bite.

"It's…flavorful…" she observed, chewing slowly.

Buffy regarded Faith. "You hate it," she stated sourly. She reached to grab the plate out from in front of the brunette, but Faith managed to snatch up the plate and pull away.

Faith swallowed her first bite. "Stop it, B," she ordered. "I'm hungry." She spooned up another mouthful and moved so that the kitchen island was between her and the other slayer.

Buffy growled and grabbed for the plate across the island. Faith pulled the plate out of Buffy's reach again. "Give it to me or…"

"Or what?" Faith countered playfully. "You'll cut me off from sex?" 

Buffy made a face, but stopped reaching for the plate. "Or, I'll fly back to San Francisco, first thing tomorrow morning." 

Faith stopped eating. "You're bluffing," she said around her mouthful of eggs.

Buffy stubbornly folded her arms across her chest. "Try me," she challenged. "They probably need me back home anyway. And I should also start looking for another job." 

Faith frowned and handed the plate to Buffy across the counter. "You don't play nice, B," she grumbled.

"Yeah... well, you act like you're five and don't cooperate." 

Buffy tossed the remaining food from both their plates into a garbage can and stalked over to the kitchen sink. Her body language was unreadable and with her back to the brunette, her facial expression was hidden from view.

Faith crept closer to the blonde. "Are you mad at me?" 

Buffy turned on the kitchen sink and began to roughly clean the plates. "No."

"You sure about that?" Faith stood directly behind the blonde. 

Buffy sighed. "I'm honestly not mad at you." She continued to furiously scrub at the plate. 

Faith moved closer and wrapped her arms around Buffy to take the plate away in one hand and the sponge in the other. "I think it's clean now," she murmured.

"Oh." Buffy turned her head slightly. "Sorry." 

"It's okay," Faith reassured her. "Thankfully this set doesn't have a pattern on it or I'd be buying a replacement before Mrs. Cribbage realized it was gone." 

Buffy's shoulders drooped. "I really wanted to have this go... right." 

Faith rested her chin on Buffy's shoulder. "It's the thought that counts, right?" 

Buffy huffed, but didn't move away. "Yea , well... thoughts don't exactly fill our bellies." 

Faith laughed and stayed pressed against Buffy's back. "C'mon, Pouty McGee. How about we move this show over to the fridge, and we'll cook something together?" 

Buffy nodded and allowed Faith to waddle their enjoined bodies over to the fridge.

"Why are you being like this?" 

Faith began removing food stuffs from the fridge, and Buffy finally moved away to allow her more room. "When my girlfriend gets all frowny on me, I make it my mission to make her happy," the brunette answered easily. "So, are you my girlfriend?" 

Buffy eyeballed Faith, not sure what she was really asking. "Since I'm Kate..." she hesitated as if worried she was walking into a trap, "I must be..." 

"Then let me do my job, Twinkie." Faith winked at the blonde and continued to grab food out of the fridge.

"Any word on when the Great Blonde One is coming back?" Kennedy called from the kitchen. She'd just returned from patrol and was now foraging for food in the kitchen cabinets. "Not that I mind being in charge of the West Coast cells," she noted, "I'm just wondering when I gotta go back to being a regular slayer."

Willow didn't look up from her magazine. "I haven't heard from her," she remarked. "I think Dawn talked to her though."

"Damn it," Kennedy cursed loudly.

Willow lifted her gaze to check on the slayer. "What's wrong?"

Kennedy's face showed her displeasure. "I sliced my damn finger again. I _swore_ I put this knife away," she complained. "But it seems like every other day I manage to cut myself on it."

Willow rose from the couch and padded over to where Kennedy stood near the kitchen sink. The dark-haired slayer held a paper towel over her cut finger, keeping pressure against the fresh wound. The blood looked horrifyingly vibrant against the white absorbing material.

Willow kissed Kennedy's temple. "Silly, slayer," she murmured. "So good at slaying, so bad at cooking. Stay there," she commanded. "I'll get some supplies to clean you up."

The redhead hurried down the hallway toward the single bathroom. She stooped to retrieve the First Aid kit she kept under the sink. She snapped it open and picked out a few pre-cut pieces of gauze and a bandage large enough to handle Kennedy's cut. She lifted another level, revealing a false bottom to the kit. Hidden inside were used tissues, napkins, cotton balls, and gauze strips. Each was caked with dark, dried blood. Kennedy's blood.

Willow worried her bottom lip. In just a few more days she'd have enough blood to test out her spell. Just a few more days. Just a few more cuts.

Buffy raised an eyebrow at the small, wrapped present in her hand. "What's this?"

Faith grinned. "Oh, it's nothing," she said off-handedly. "Just something I figured you'd like."

Buffy eyeballed the other girl a moment later before carefully unwrapping the prism-shaped box. Peeling away the dark, metallic paper revealed a black mat box. The blonde's throat constricted. It looked like a jewelry box. She carefully opened the lid.

"It's…it's that necklace we looked at." Her hazel-green eyes snapped up to Faith's face. "The one I told you not to buy for me."

"And you shouldn't tell me how to spend my money. You're not the boss of me.

"What happened to weaning me off of shopping?" Buffy countered.

"Exactly, we're _weaning_," Faith stated matter-of-factly. "We're not going cold-turkey."

Buffy looked back down at the sapphire-studded necklace. She lightly touched her fingers against the jewels. "Faith, this was expensive," she said in a voice little more than a whisper. "I saw the price tag."

"Don't worry about the price. I can handle it."

Buffy shook her head. "I can't take it. You need to return it."

Faith's smile faltered. "I _said, _don't worry about it."

Buffy chewed on her bottom lip, considering. "Well… I can't even wear it. If you haven't noticed, I'm sporting mainly an assortment of t-shirts and jeans these days."

"Nothing wrong with that," the brunette asserted. "You can dress up your skinny jeans."

Buffy made a face. "I may have lost my closet, but I haven't lost my fashion sense," she opined. "A fancy necklace like this won't go with any of my outfits."

Faith grinned, a hint of mischief dancing at the corners of her lips. "I figured that much… sooo… here." She pulled a larger package out from behind a potted plant.

Buffy groaned. "Oh God. And what's this?"

"Me actually reinforcing your shopping addiction," Faith smirked.

Buffy shook her head in disbelief. "Why would you do that?"

Faith gave the other slayer a sheepish, almost embarrassed smile. "Just hoping you'd stay in rehab longer."

Buffy returned the shy smile and then tore into the larger wrapped box without hesitation. Inside was a gown that made her prom dress look

"Wow," Buffy murmured, petting the silky red material. "This is fancier than anything I've ever owned."

Faith hovered by the blonde's elbow. "Does that mean you like it?"

Buffy looked up at the other slayer. "Well yea, who wouldn't?"

Faith beamed triumphantly. "Good. Now all you need is a pair of heels and a nice bag to go with it."

Buffy's eyebrows crept to her hairline. "Please don't go pulling those out of another plant."

Faith chuckled. "I'm not Princess, don't worry."

"Oh." Buffy's lower lip made an appearance.

"Unless you want me to? We can go do that now?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, no." She stared back down at the dress and necklace that looked as though they belonged on a Red Carpet. "You've done too much already. I don't know how to thank you."

"Use it," Faith said with a nod. "That's enough thanks for me."

"You do realize that I could have paid off two months of rent with all this, right?" Buffy pointed out pragmatically.

Faith laughed. "I'm fully aware, Cupcake. Just don't pawn it."

Buffy looked back down at the necklace. "I won't," she promised. She bit her bottom lip. "Should we put it to use tonight?"

Although Faith was the one dishing out the surprises, she wasn't prepared for the other slayer's suggestion. The shock was apparent on her face.

"Uh…."

Buffy grinned, relieved to have the upperhand once again. "Stop Uh-ing and go get ready."

"But –."

"Faith, I'm many things," Buffy interrupted curtly, "but patience with wearing this is not one of them at the moment."

A short hour later, Buffy floated down the staircase, her hand gliding along the polished handrail. She turned a corner of the dramatic stairs that reminded her a little of Hogwarts. Her heart sank in disappointment, however, when she didn't see Faith waiting expectantly at the bottom of the stairs.

Buffy's lower lip popped out and she slightly stomped down the remaining stairs to reach the ground level.

The blonde's shoulder's slumped forward. Where was she? Didn't Faith know she was supposed to be waiting at the bottom step waiting for Buffy's grand entrance to take her breath away?

The sound of someone clearing their throat filtered down from above and roused Buffy from her melancholy lament. Buffy looked up in the direction of the noise and her hazel-green eyes widened and her jaw went slack. Standing at the top of the staircase stood Faith.

In a dress.

A small smirk found its way onto the dark slayer's generous lips, and she began to descend the staircase. Buffy's eyes bulged as the Boston woman carefully tread down the stairs. Her black sheer dress had a dangerous slit along her right thigh. With each step down, Faith rewarded the blonde slayer with an eyeful of toned leg from ankle to upper thigh.

The dress's sleeveless bodice fit snug around Faith's torso coming up to a keyhole of cleavage and a halter strap secured behind the Boston woman's neck. The skirt was slightly looser, but still fitted, leaving just enough room for the younger slayer to make it down the tall staircase. As Faith stepped closer, Buffy noted the light application of make-up and the pleasant way her barely tamed dark waves framed her face.

When Faith came to the bottom step, Buffy was also acutely aware of how much taller the other woman stood. She towered at least half a foot above Buffy's barefooted stature.

"You're tall."

Buffy mentally slapped her forehead. _Smooth, Summers. _At least it hadn't been a series of disconnected grunts: _Fire bright, Faith pretty._

"I'm wearing heels," the brunette unnecessarily pointed out. Faith slipped out of her spiked stilettos and returned to her regular height. "Why are you barefoot?" she asked, noticing the smaller woman's feet for the first time.

Buffy shook her head, pulling her gaze from the movement of Faith's breasts. "Nothing matched."

Faith laughed. "Only you, Summers," she clucked.

Buffy's staring didn't go unnoticed by the brunette. Faith was highly aware of Buffy's eyes still trained on her body. It wasn't an unpleasant or foreign feeling – she was used to being the center of attention. She just wasn't as used to those eyes belonging to Buffy.

"Don't look so surprised, cutie," Faith remarked. "You're not the only one who looks good in a dress."

"No, it's not that," Buffy protested, shaking her head. "I never thought you'd look bad in a dress. I just didn't think I'd see you in one again."

"Again?" Faith's face revealed her confusion. "When have you ever seen me in one of these get-ups?"

"Homecoming."

Faith snapped her fingers, the memory coming back. "Good call, B. I'd forgotten about that."

Buffy shrugged. "It was memorable."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not, but how about we go to dinner?"

Buffy stayed glued to her spot, rather than following the dazzling brunette.

Faith turned and paused. "What's wrong? Not hungry?"

"I don't have shoes."

Faith bit back a smile, not wanting Buffy to think she was laughing at her. "Don't worry your pretty little head, B," she winked playfully at the blonde. "Where we're going, we won't need 'em."

Buffy sat at the end of a long, formal table. The room was dimly lit with tall taper candles down the center of the sprawling, rectangular table and gently glowing wall sconces. Light music played in the background from an unknown source, but she wouldn't have been surprised if Faith had hired a band for the evening.

Buffy sat anxiously at her end of the table, playing with the fringed tablecloth. She didn't know how to react to Faith's behavior that day – first buying her the necklace and the dress, and now a white table-clothed dinner. It was as if the dark slayer were _wooing _her, courting her affections.

She was flattered and touched that Faith was putting in so much effort, but what did it all mean? Why was she doing it and what did she expect in return? The latter question made Buffy the most uneasy.

Faith walked in from the direction of the kitchen holding a large tray with two steaming plates. She lowered the tray and placed a plate in front of Buffy and the other at an adjacent seat. "Bon appetite," she grinned.

Buffy covered her mouth and giggled. "Mrs. Cribbage made us mac and cheese?"

A small frown marred Faith's beautiful face. "No. _I _made us mac and cheese."

Buffy grinned. "Well in that case, thank you for going to the trouble."

Faith smirked and sat down next to the blonde and unrolled her silverware from the cloth napkin. She set the dark red napkin on her lap. "I know you're teasing me, but I'm going to take that as a genuine thank you."

Faith raised her eyebrows and waited for Buffy's approval. "Good?"

Buffy nodded. "Mmhmm," she agreed around her mouthful of noodles.

Faith grinned and began to attack her food with her fork.

Buffy moved the food around on her plate. "This is nicer than any date I've ever been on," she noted.

"Maybe you just haven't been on a date with the right person before," Faith stated boldly.

Buffy placed a soft hand on top of Faith's on the tabletop. "Faith. You've been really great about everything," she murmured. It was hard not to get pulled into the other slayer's dark eyes. She found so much desire, warmth, and comfort located there.

Buffy leaned forward slightly. She could see Faith swallow hard, the tendons in her neck working.

A voice cleared. Both women hastily pulled away from each other. Standing in the archway that separated the formal dining room from the foyer was Angel. "I'm going out," he said darkly. He looked disapprovingly between the two women.

Faith waved a hand in Angel's direction. "Ok. Have fun, Big Guy. I'll see ya later."

The blonde pushed her chair back from the table. The chair legs scraped noisily along the floor. "I'll, uhm, I'll clean up."

"You don't have to do that," Faith said softly, sensing Buffy's urge to bolt. "The dirty dishes will still be there in the morning."

Buffy stood up and grabbed Faith's plate along with her own. Her face was unreadable in the dim, candle-lit room. "No…no, I really do," she mumbled.

With Buffy loudly cleaning dishes in the kitchen, Faith felt awkward and uneasy simply waiting in the dining room. She stood abruptly from the long table and thought about joining the blonde in the other room. But sensing that Buffy had volunteered to clean up because of the need to be alone with her thoughts rather than any altruistic motives, Faith left the other woman and went into the library instead.

She made a fire in the large stone fireplace. The mansion wasn't cold, but at least it gave her something to do while she waited for Buffy to reappear from the other side of the house.

On Giles' desk sat a pile of unopened mail that Faith hadn't bothered with since returning from the States.

"You almost done in there?" she called out to Buffy.

"Not quite. You're a messy cook," Buffy's raised voice responded.

On top of the pile of unopened mail was a nondescript manila envelope. She grabbed the letter opener off Giles' desk and slid it through the top closing flap. Inside, she found a thin stack of color photos. She narrowed her eyes as she inspected the subject of the photography; it took a moment for her brain to realize what the photos were.

A quiet gasp fell from her lips when she realized what had happened. The photos fell from her fingers and fluttered to the floor.

Buffy walks in and says something.

She stooped and picked up one of the fallen photos. "What's this?" she innocently chirped.

Her hazel-green eyes scrutinized the photograph, and after a moment of inspection, her body stiffened. "Faith?" she warily started, "Why are there pictures of me tied up and looking terrified?"

She rifled through the other photos as if needing conformation. "This never happened to me." The pitch of her voice rose. "Or at least I don't remember it."

Faith sat down heavily in an overstuffed chair and her head fell into her hands. "That's because it didn't happen to you, B," she murmured, staring at the floor. "It happened to Kate."

Buffy grabbed the plain envelope and inspected it for a return address or some other clue. The front of the envelope was unmarked beyond the address of Giles' country estate. She looked inside and pulled out a single yellow Post-It note that must have fallen off the stack of photographs. In carefully calligraphy were the words: 'Let's make a trade."

Buffy hazarded a glance at her distraught sister-Slayer who remained seated with her head buried in helpless hands.

A loud, racking sob tumbled from Faith's lips. "Someone's kidnapped Kate."

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

**21**

"Someone's kidnapped Kate," Faith murmured, not needing to see the note Buffy had found inside the manila envelope. The photographs were evidence enough. "They must have thought she was you, and when they realized their mistake, sent these photos."

Buffy frowned deeply, lines forming on her smooth forehead. "But who even knows where you live? Who knows that I'm in England? And why was Kate still looking like me?"

Faith stood up. "I don't know, Buffy!" she snapped angrily. She stalked over to the fireplace and stared at the crackling blaze.

Buffy stared at Faith's back. The brunette's silhouette glowed, backlit by the wood fire. "I'm sorry for all the questions," she quietly apologized. "It's just that it's not everyday you see pictures of yourself tied up like this…You know, unless you're into bondage or something."

Faith didn't respond.

"There's got to be some clues in these pictures – something we're missing," Buffy noted hopefully.

Buffy chewed on her bottom lip and examined the photos again. The setting appeared to be an unfinished basement or an abandoned warehouse. Exposed brick filled the frames along with darkness and grime. Kate, looking remarkably like Buffy, was pictured in each photograph. She sat tied to a wooden chair with rope binding her torso, ankles, and wrists. A white cloth obstructed her mouth. Her tanned cheeks were clearly streaked with tears. It unnerved Buffy to flip through a stack of photographs of someone who looked like her, severely beaten and full of fear.

Faith turned away from the fire as if preparing to leave. "I can't just sit around, knowing she's in danger."

Buffy stopped the storming woman before she could leave the room by positioning her body between Faith and the door.

"I know," Buffy tried to appease. She gently placed her hands flat against Faith's breastplate. "I know how much you…" She struggled with her word choice. "…you _care_ for her." Even though the shape-shifter was in danger, Buffy couldn't help but feel a residual twinge of jealousy and anger when thinking about her doppelganger.

"You don't get it," Faith fired back. "She's in danger because of _me."_

Buffy dropped her hands and crossed her arms across her chest. "No – she's in danger because she's wearing _my _face," she stubbornly countered.

"It's my fault she's in danger," Faith exploded. "Everyone I get close to ends up dead. I can't let that happen to her, too."

"It's not going to, Faith," Buffy insisted. "We're going to find her. And we're going to get back at whoever did this to her."

Faith stared at Buffy's resolved, yet pleading features. Their night had been going so well – for the most part Buffy's entire visit had been going well…and now…this.

"Here," Buffy said, pushing the photographic evidence at the other woman. "Keep your emotions under control and look at these closer. There's got to be a clue here."

Faith worked the back muscles of her jaw, but obeyed the golden-haired slayer.

Buffy could sense her sister-Slayer's growing anger as she flipped through the stack of color prints. "Don't look at her, Faith. It's just going to distract you," she coaxed in a gentle voice. She continued to go through the photos with the brunette. "Look at her surroundings."

Faith stopped and tapped one of the photos. "I know this place," she stated in an amazed voice. "I mean, I know this area. It's close to Giles' flat in London."

Buffy looked at the same photograph, but couldn't find anything remarkable in it. "How can you tell?"

Faith pointed at a garden window near the top of the picture. "See that neon pink? I think that's a store sign outside wherever they're keeping Kate. I used to pass by a sign like it nearly every night on patrol."

Buffy observed the photograph for a few more moments. There was just a sliver of neon color visible through a small, dingy window. She didn't want to point out that it could be _any _sign, but Faith seemed so sure of herself, so confident, she didn't want to discourage her.

"Well, I guess we're going to London," Buffy remarked almost casually.

Faith shook her head. "No, _you're _staying here and working on your rehab and figuring out what's up with those blackouts. And don't forget you still have to talk to Angel."

"We all know I've been doing shit for my rehab," Buffy stated with emotion. Her face looked a little wild and hard. "I'm coming along."

Faith was mildly alarmed at the blonde's reaction. But finally, after a tense moment, the she nodded. "Okay," she conceded with a nod. "We'll do this together."

_Flashback_

Kate pulled at the antiquated buzzer on the front door of the English countryside manor. She could hear the familiar chimes echo throughout the impressive house. When no one came to answer the door, she tried the front door knob and found it unlocked. Normally she'd be surprised to find the front entrance of any home unsecured, but with a vampire and a slayer in the house, she figured neither Angel nor Faith worried too much about burglars.

"Hello?" she called, peaking her head around the door. "Faith?"

Hearing no reply, Kate entered the house and shut the wooden door behind her, closing out the outside sunshine. Her heeled boots sounded noisily against the polished wooden floors. She called Faith's name wherever she wandered, but found no signs of activity. She knew the house staff had weekends off, but she hadn't expected to find the mansion completely abandoned.

Faith had been back in England for a few days, but Kate had been putting off re-connecting with the Boston slayer. She'd called the brunette once earlier in the week to check-in, but nothing more than that.

She knew she should have called before making the hour and a half trip into the country for an impromptu visit, but she'd wanted to surprise Faith with the unannounced visit. Now, finding Faith not at home, Kate regretted her impulsive decision-making.

Kate stared up the staircase. "Faith?" she tried again, holding out hope that perhaps the brunette slayer was simply taking a nap upstairs and hadn't heard her come in.

She began to climb towards the second floor when heavy footsteps behind her caused her to pause.

"I didn't think I'd ever see that face again," came a solemn male voice. "I almost didn't recognize you as a brunette."

"Angel!" the shape-shifter jumped. The souled vampire stood at the bottom of the staircase, his dark figure hidden in shadows. Kate brought a hand up to her chest. "You scared me," she breathed.

The man's face was emotionless and unreadable. "I know."

"Is Faith here?"

Angel's visage scrunched in confusion. "I thought you two had gone shopping or something today."

"Uh, no…" Kate shook her head.

The vampire shrugged his massive shoulders. "Well I don't know where she is; I'm not Faith's keeper," he said icily.

"Woah." Kate held up her hands. "What's with the attitude? Are you two fighting or something?"

"No," Angel scowled. "But you two should know how much it annoys me when you prance around in Buffy's body."

"I'm wearing my real face today," the shape-shifter pointed out, offended by the vampire's dismissive behavior.

"Yeah, _today_ you are," Angel sniffed, "but you weren't yesterday or the day before that or the day before that."

"I wasn't…." The brunette didn't complete her thought out loud. Something wasn't right here.

Angel pushed past the girl and began climbing the stairs towards his third-floor rooms. "Get a tighter leash if you don't want to lose track of your girlfriend," he shot over his shoulder without looking back.

Kate was left behind, blinking, at the foot of the stairs.

Kate sat down heavily at the end of Faith's mattress. She stared down wistfully at the bedspread rumpled at the bottom of the bed and traced her fingers along the familiar pattern. When Faith had made the move from the plush, upgraded London apartment out to the more dated country estate, the slayer's bedroom choice had surprised the shape-shifter. Everything about the room, from its bare white walls to the quilted comforter seemed too underwhelming for the brash slayer.

Kate grabbed one of the pillows from the head of the bed and unabashedly inhaled the comforting scent of her former lover's skin. Realizing how crazy she was acting, Kate abruptly set the pillow down and stood up from the bed.

"Get a grip," she muttered angrily to herself. "This isn't a trip down memory lane."

She'd thought hard about Angel's words and attitude toward her. At first none of it had made sense. He'd always been a little distant with her, but she thought tensions had eased between them when she stopped shifting into Buffy so frequently. Now, however, all that anger had seemed to resurface. And there was only one logical reason for it – Buffy was in England.

Kate swallowed down the initial wave of anger. First, Faith had sex with the blonde slayer, cheating on her, and now she brought that other woman into her home. Not only that, but based on her interaction with Angel, Buffy seemed to be pretending to be Kate.

Kate's anger was quickly replaced with disappointment and then finally a feeling of resignation. She supposed this was her payback – she'd taken over Buffy's identity more than was healthy. Moreover, she knew she would never have all of Faith's heart with Buffy around– not the whole of it, at least.

Kate sighed and looked at the alarm clock near Faith's bed. She had to get back to the city and her job soon. Not only that, but now knowing that the blonde slayer was here in England, Kate wasn't too eager for a reunion. She'd leave and Faith would never know she had been over to visit.

Deciding to make a hasty exit, Kate spun on her heels and began to march out Faith's bedroom door. She would have made a dramatic escape if not for the perpetually lingering vampire coming up the staircase at the exact moment Kate chose to leave.

The shape-shifter and vampire slammed into each other. Kate was surprised by the impact as well as the sensation of something warm and thick oozing down the front of her body.

Angel's ceramic mug lay on the ground, broken in shards, and the former contents of his cup – freshly warmed-up pig's blood – was splashed all over Kate's front.

"Good damn it," the undead man cursed. He stooped to pick up the broken pieces. "That was my favorite cup," he complained.

"What about me?" Kate shrilly exclaimed. "I've got blood _all over me!_ I can't drive back to London in these clothes!"

Angel snorted. "Don't you have an entire wardrobe here?"

Kate shook her head stubbornly. "No. The only clothes I kept here are too small for me."

"Too small?" Angel questioned. "Did you suddenly get fat?"

"No," Kate blustered. She yanked at the front of her t-shirt and wrinkled her nose when the blood-wet shirt stuck to her skin. "They're Buffy-sized."

Angel's face clouded over. "Not my problem," he grumbled. Without another word, he stalked back down the staircase with his broken mug in hand.

Kate stood at the top of the staircase and made a frustrated noise. "Could this day get any worse?"

Kate bit her bottom lip as she considered her current options. She'd promised herself she'd never shift back into Buffy Summer's likeness again. Pretending to be someone else for an extended amount of time wasn't fair to anyone. Not herself, not the person she was mirroring, not the person she was trying to please.

But she had to get to work and didn't want to drive all the way back to London in ruined, blood-soaked clothes.

With a final disgruntled noise, Kate rushed back into Faith's bedroom and closed the door for privacy. She closed her eyes and focused her energy. She felt her muscles tighten and shrink beneath her skin. Her skeletal frame followed suit and her skin regained its tautness around her flesh. Across the bedroom was a full-length mirror. A small, blonde woman with hazel-green eyes frowned back at Kate in the reflection.

"Stupid slayer and her stupid small, flat-chested body," she grumbled to herself.

Checking the clock once more and noting the increasingly late hour, Kate hastily opened a drawer in Faith's wardrobe where she kept her "Buffy" clothes, tossed on a new outfit, and hustled out of the house.

Kate threw her soiled, bloody clothes into the back of her car. She shut the rear door just as two black SUVs crunched down the long driveway in her direction. She shielded her eyes from the sun bouncing off the front windows of the two oversized vehicles. The all-terrain trucks came to a halting stop, blocking the shape-shifter's exit.

The vehicles shut off, and tall men in dark suits and sunglasses piled out of the cars.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a voice that was not her own, curious by the men's presence. The entire time they'd been dating, Faith had never had visitors at the English estate.

"Miss Summers," one of the men intoned in a gravely voice. "You need to come with us."

Kate opened her mouth to inform the ominous, serious men that she wasn't who they thought she was. But before she could speak a word, one of the men drew a gun at her and fired.

Kate hollered in shock, but was surprised to find herself still standing. Instead of being dead, she felt a sharp pinprick, like a bee sting, on her neck. She slapped her hand against the stinging area and discovered a tiny, feathered dart lodged in her skin.

And then everything went black.

_Present Day_

Faith opened the front entrance to Giles' London flat. Buffy followed in behind, struggling with the unpredictable wheels of her oversized luggage.

The brunette fumbled briefly in the hallway, feeling for the foyer light switch she knew was there. She found the switch and the front portion of the condo was flooded with light.

Buffy murmured her approval of what she saw. The apartment was clean, modern, and sophisticated. "How long did you and Angel stay here before moving to the farm?"

"Just a couple months," Faith said, shrugging out of her leather jacket and hanging it on a hook in the front foyer.

Even though she knew the fridge would be empty as she hadn't been back to the apartment in a number of months, Faith traversed to the front kitchen and opened the refrigerator door out of habit. "You up for some dinner?" she called to her sister-Slayer.

Buffy hovered in the front hallway, not sure where to go or what to do with her luggage. "Do you mind if we get something delivered?" she asked. "I'm not really in a going out kind of mood."

"No problem," Faith affirmed. "How's pizza sound?"

"Great," Buffy agreed. "Order whatever you want on it. Anything," she noted, "but anchovies."

"Even onions?" Faith questioned.

Buffy smirked. "Sure, why not? It's not like I'm planning on making out with anyone tonight."

Faith pretended to appear crestfallen. "Way to ruin my dreams, Blondie."

Buffy shook her head and lugged her baggage down the hall in search of an extra bedroom.

When she reappeared in the kitchen, Buffy returned wearing yoga pants and a fitted camisole. Faith caught herself staring at the elder woman's thin frame.

"What?" Buffy questioned, looking down at her shirt as if inspecting for stains.

The Bostonian shook her head. "Nothing. I just don't think I'm ever gonna get used to all these sleepovers."

"Technically not a sleepover party," Buffy pointed out. "More like a rescue-your-girlfriend party."

"_Ex_-girlfriend," Faith corrected.

One of Buffy's carefully manicured eyebrows shot up inquisitively. "Ex? When did that happen?"

Faith dropped her eyes to the ground. "Well…I did kind of have sex with you, B. And normally girlfriends aren't cool with that. So yeah, Kate and I, uh, broke up I guess."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Buffy said the words, but any genuineness didn't reach her tone She leaned against the granite countertops, contemplating. "So you told her about…" She still couldn't say the words.

"About us bumpin' uglies?" Faith confirmed nonchalantly. "Yeah."

"When?"

Faith waved her hand dismissively. "I was still in the States. She'd already flown back to London." She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Sure," Buffy nodded. "I'm sorry."

Faith shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, B. I just…it doesn't feel right to be talkin' about Kate when she's…" she trailed off and frowned.

"…Not here," Buffy finished for her.

Faith sighed deeply. "Yeah. Something like that."

_Flashback_

Kate's eyes fluttered open and she winced into the blinding light that hovered above her. Her mouth felt dry as if she had walked a great distance through a desert. She felt disoriented – nauseous and light-headed as if she'd spent the previous evening partying too hard. Her stomach filled with dread when she discovered her wrists and ankles bound, effectively pinning her to the wooden chair on which she sat.

"Hello?" she called out into the seemingly empty room.

A table lamp flicked on in a corner of the room. An elderly man sat in a wheelchair, his useless legs covered with an argyle patterned blanket.

"I wish I could say that it's nice to see you, Miss Summers," the man stated icily. "But I've been waiting for this moment a very long time."

"There's been a mistake," Kate said weakly through dry, parched lips. She knew she shouldn't have changed back into Buffy form. She should have driven home in her ruined clothes, regardless of how uncomfortable it would have felt.

"The only mistake I've ever made was letting you live this long," the man rumbled sourly.

Kate closed her eyes and honed her energy. She needed to _show _this man she wasn't really Buffy. She waited for the familiar buzz and sensation of her flesh remolding itself. But nothing happened.

Kate opened her eyes. "What the?" she said aloud to no one in particular. Despite her efforts, she hadn't transformed back to her original body. She took a few calming breaths and tried again.

Still nothing.

She couldn't feel the magic that normally crawled across her skin when she shifted. Her flesh felt lethargic, like she was covered in heavy blankets that muffled her senses. For the first time since regaining consciousness, Kate's face registered true fear.

"Who are you?" she demanded shrilly. "What did you do to me?"

"It's no use struggling against those ropes, Miss Summers," the man continued in his even, emotionless, English accent. "You'll find that your slayer strength isn't what it used to be."

He chuckled coldly, and the sound sent a shiver of fear down Kate's spine. "I didn't honestly think your little witch friend would betray you like she did, but by God…she actually figured it out. I always knew it would be possible."

Kate blinked a few times, trying to make sense of the words the strange man was stringing together. "Witch? You mean Willow?" she asked.

"Of course I mean Miss Rosenberg," the man snapped impatiently. "How many other Wiccan best friends do you have?"

"I'm _not _Buffy," Kate retorted.

The man sneered at her from his permanently seated position. "Oh really? And just who would you be then?"

"My name is Kate. And I'm a shape-shifter," the blonde woman started out slowly. "It's a long story why I look like this girl who you think I am, but I _swear _to you, I'm not really her."

"And why should I believe you, "Kate"?"

"I'd _show _you," she grunted, trying once again to return to her original form, "but for some reason I can't seem to shift." Her muscles felt fatigued.

The man's lips pursed. "Interesting."

"I'm telling the truth!" Kate protested. She wiggled in her chair, struggling against her bonds.

The anonymous man was silent for a moment. He closed his piercing eyes and lost himself to thought. After an unsettling moment, his eyes snapped back open and trained on Kate's bound form. "If what you're saying is true," he started slowly, "this means Miss Rosenberg's formula impacts not only slayers, but also other supernatural beings."

He steepled his fingers. "How very, very interesting."

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 22**

"I think they've officially blocked your phone number." The frustrated blonde gently laid the cell phone down on the kitchen counter top. "No one's picking up anymore."

"Maybe because you just borderline harassed them with as many times as you called," Faith chuckled.

Buffy made a disgruntled noise. "But _they_'_re _the ones who made the mistake – not us."

"It's okay, B," Faith responded easily. "I don't think they do exchanges anyway."

Buffy stuck out her lower lip. "Well, they should."

"Don't blow a gasket, Princess," the brunette sighed as she continued her tedious task. "I'm picking them all off."

Buffy padded over to the other slayer who sat at the small kitchen table. She grabbed the seat beside the brunette and sat in momentarily silence as she watched Faith continue her endeavor. "You know, you don't have to do that," she remarked after a moment.

Faith shrugged, not looking at Buffy. "It's no biggy."

"Is this a British thing or something?"

Faith picked another anchovy from the pizza, and, making a face, tossed it in the garbage can she'd pulled close. "What do you mean?"

"Fish and chips," the Chosen One stated in seriousness. "Fish on pizza."

Faith smirked and continued picking at the pizza toppings. "Anchovies exist in America, too."

Buffy made a face. "Yeah, but I've never heard of anyone actually _eating _them."

"Well, I'm sure some people probably think your love of pineapple pizza is pretty weird, too," the brunette pointed out.

"It's not weird," the smaller slayer protested. "It's delicious."

Faith didn't look up from her painstaking task. "Uh huh," she deadpanned.

Buffy audibly sighed. "I hate to say it, but I think pizza's out."

"I just have a little more to go and this thing will be edible," Faith insisted. She plucked another fish piece from the pizza.

Buffy shook her head. "I changed my mind. Let's go out for dinner. Besides," she pointed out, "we should probably be looking for Kate – not having a pizza party. This pizza order screw-up is probably the Fates way of telling us to stop messing around."

Faith looked down at the extra-large pizza on her kitchen table. The tiny pieces of fish bits swimming in pizza sauce seemed to taunt her. She stood and unceremoniously dumped the entire pizza into the garbage can.

Buffy grabbed onto Faith's wrist before she could storm away. "Hey."

"What," Faith said flatly.

"Don't be mad, okay?" She released Faith's wrist. "It's just a pizza."

Faith blinked rapidly, surprised and overwhelmed by a sudden wave of emotion. "No. It's more than that, B. Everything is turning to shit lately."

"It'll get better," Buffy immediately reassured. "We'll find Kate," she said in a gentle yet confident tone. "We'll get her back. And then life can go back to normal."

The Boston slayer eyeballed the seated blonde. "And what exactly does _normal_ mean?"

Buffy shrugged. "Hell if I know."

Buffy stood outside a non-descript brick building. "And you're _sure _this place has the best chicken wings in town?" she asked, unbelieving.

Faith grinned mischievously. "Hell yeah," she nodded. "I used to go here all the time after patrol to take care of…" She grinned wider. "Well, you know."

The blonde's eyes rose to examine the outside façade. There were no signs to indicate the building was a place of business, but perhaps even more disturbingly there were no_ windows _to indicate what went on inside the structure.

"If you say so," she said hesitantly. She hugged herself, trying to ward off the damp chill of the London night.

Faith opened the building's front door. No sounds streamed outside, continuing to shroud the business's purpose in mystery. "C'mon," she urged. "I'm starving."

Buffy looked back up at the foreboding building once more. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about the structure warned her not to go inside. She glanced at Faith who waited impatiently with the front door open. The Bostonian raised her eyebrows and jerked her head towards the entrance to indicate Buffy should follow. "I need chicken wings in my stomach."

Finally, after another long moment of hesitation, Buffy shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and reluctantly followed Faith inside.

The front door closed behind her and the room was filled instantly with darkness.

"Uh, Faith?" Buffy called out, disoriented by her inability to see anything.

She nearly shrieked in surprise when Faith's hand sought her own in the darkness. "I got you," the brunette breathed.

"I don't want to be a pain," Buffy remarked, "but what kind of restaurant doesn't have lights?"

"It's not exactly a restaurant," Faith's voice replied. Buffy felt a tug on her arm and she stumbled behind Faith through the total darkness. "Just trust me, okay?"

Buffy obediently followed Faith, despite not being able to see. She bumped into the taller woman when the Bostonian suddenly stopped.

"Why are we stopping?" Buffy asked.

"Because I've gotta punch in the access code to get inside," Faith responded as though it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Where the hell are we going for chicken wings?" Buffy demanded. She felt a little angry at Faith's deliberate vagueness. "The CIA?"

"Technically we're in England, so it would be MI6," Faith corrected, "not the CIA."

"We're getting dinner at MI6?" Buffy asked in awe.

The elder slayer heard Faith's familiar rasping chuckle. "And here I thought that blonde hair was all peroxide."

"Shut up," Buffy grumbled. "I'm just hungry."

Buffy heard the telltale beeps of Faith pressing numbers into a dimly lit keypad and the sound of a mechanized door unlocking. Faith wretched open the cumbersome door and the two were rewarded with slightly more artificial light coming from the adjacent room.

Without a word, the brunette slayer walked through the newly-opened gateway. Buffy promptly followed behind lest she get locked out and stuck in the pitch-black anti-chamber. Her ears were immediately assaulted with the pounding base of trance music and her eyes struggled to adjust to the flashing of neon lights. The room was much larger than she had expected upon first entering the mysterious building and its surprising size only added to her overall disequilibrium.

Groups of men and a few scattered women sat at tables positioned around the large room. A DJ booth was located against a far wall. Next to the plex-i-glass booth was an elaborate buffet where Faith's best-in-the-city chicken wings and other finger-food steamed from gleaming silver platters.

Buffy turned to her sister-Slayer. "All of that hassle just for an appetizer buffet?" she asked incredulously.

Faith pursed her plush lips. "Well, the scenery's not that bad, either."

Buffy opened her mouth to ask Faith for clarification when a lithe woman wearing far less than a bikini casually strolled by. The blonde's eyes bulged and she followed the path of the semi-naked woman. Another woman, dressed in little more than underwear and a fitted camisole, stopped the other undergarment-wearing woman and they shared a conversation out of Buffy's slayer-hearing range. A man dressed in a three-piece suit, his tie loosened around his neck, walked up to the pair of scantily clad women and offered the bikini-clad girl a crisp bill that looked to be 100 Euros.

Buffy quickly took note of the rest of her surroundings. All of the women in the room were practically naked. Her eyes widened in realization. Faith had brought her to a _strip club_.

Buffy clamped her hand on Faith's arm. "What are we doing here?" she hissed under her breath.

Faith's easy smile was unnervingly nonchalant. "I told you. They have the best wings here."

"At a _strip club_?" Buffy harshly whispered. She tightened her grip when Faith tried to walk away from her grasp.

Faith chuckled. "Relax, B. No one's gonna bite ya, and if you don't wanna see naked chicks, just cover your eyes."

Buffy stiffened when she felt an arm slip around her waist. "Hey, babe." Buffy turned to see a strange woman beside her. She was a few inches taller than herself, with long wavy chestnut-colored hair. Her eyes were a light hazel that almost matched her skin color. Unlike the rest of the semi-naked women in the club, she was fully clothed in black faded jeans and a tight grey t-shirt.

She pulled Buffy in for a side hug and pressed her lips against Buffy's cheek. "Where've you been hiding?"

Buffy hastily pulled herself out of the stranger's grasp. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The attractive woman grinned. "You can cut the act…I already know it's you."

Buffy shook her head. "You've got me confused with someone else."

The other woman's eyes flicked from Buffy's face over to Faith's as if noticing the brunette woman for the first time. The stranger's face clouded over. "Oh, I see what this is. You're pretending like you've never seen me before so your girlfriend won't get jealous."

Buffy held up her hands in retreat. "I _swear_ I have no idea what you're talking about," she squeaked nervously. "And, she's not my girlfriend."

"How can you say that after all that we've been through?" Faith blustered in a falsetto voice.

Buffy buried her face in her hands. "I should have just eaten the anchovies," she muttered miserably.

The woman took a step back and regarded the blonde slayer. "Kate, I don't get it. What's this game you're playing?"

Buffy dropped her hands to her side. "Wait…Kate? Like Kate the stripping shape-shifter?"

Faith scowled. "That's a charming way to describe my girlfriend."

"_Ex-_girlfriend," Buffy interjected icily.

The woman looked back and forth between the two slayers as though watching a tennis match. "Hold up. I'm lost. Why has she been wearing _your_ body?" she asked the blonde.

"See?" Buffy said in a smug tone. "I told you that's why she got kidnapped."

"Wait." The cinnamon-skinned woman looked alarmed. "_What_?"

Buffy waved dismissively at the startled women. "She got kidnapped, but don't worry, we're going to get her back."

"Who are you?" Faith demanded suspiciously.

"Kate and I used to date." The woman eyeballed Faith. "I came by the club looking for her a few days ago, but she wasn't here. Instead, a girl who looked like _you_," she noted, pointing in Buffy's direction, "started talking to me. After a while I figured out she was Kate, though. She used do that kinda stuff to me all the time – change into someone else and flirt to test my loyalty."

"Well that's charming," Buffy noted, rolling her eyes.

"Right, like how you're pretending to be Kate to avoid Angel?" Faith pointed out.

The smug smile fell from Buffy's lips.

"What's this business about Kate being kidnapped?" Kate's ex-girlfriend demanded of the two slayers.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Faith snapped. "We're taking care of it."

The stranger seemed to stand a little taller. She leaned toward the Boston woman. "I'm making it my business."

"Oh my God, I can't stand all this testosterone," Buffy complained, positioning herself between the two brunettes. "You two are worse than dudes."

Faith and the other woman backed off and looked away.

Buffy confronted the ex-girlfriend. "Listen…" she trailed off.

"Morgan," the dark-skinned woman supplied.

"Morgan." Buffy flashed the girl a winning smile. "Faith and I really do have this under control. But how about this – why don't you give me your number, and I'll give you a call when we find Kate so you know she's safe?"

"Oh, I see how it is," Faith complained. "Asking for another girl's number right in front of me."

Buffy shut her eyes and grimaced. "I just want this day to be over with."

"Not before I get some chicken wings," Faith cheekily interjected.

"They really do have some excellent chicken wings here," Morgan agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

Buffy took a calming, deep breath. "So, your number?" she asked Morgan with raised eyebrows.

The coffee-skinned woman nodded once. She fished a business card out of her back pocket and handed it to Buffy, making sure to slide her fingers over the blonde slayer's. "So, yeah, I'd appreciate a call to let me know Kate's alright. We're not dating now or anything, but I'd like to know she's safe." She let her eyes linger over the smaller woman's tight figure. "And, you could call me for other stuff, too," she grinned.

Buffy swallowed hard, suddenly flustered. She jammed the woman's card into her jacket pocket. "Yeah, I'll call. To let you know about Kate, I mean," she stammered.

Morgan slid her glance once more along the slender curves of the blonde slayer. "I'll look forward to that," she murmured. She nodded once in Faith's direction to acknowledge the other slayer and then turned and exited the club.

"I gotta go to the can," Faith announced. Her voice was tinged with annoyance.

Buffy turned on her heel to face Faith once again, and her face flashed with panic. "Don't leave me."

Faith couldn't help but smirk. "You're a big girl, B. You'll be fine." She waved her hand in the direction from where Morgan had disappeared. "I mean, look at how well you did with that chick. She practically got to third base with ya."

Buffy's eyebrows furrowed together. "She did not. And after what just happened, how could you even _think _of leaving me by –,"

"I'll be right back," Faith said, interrupting the blonde's momentary panic attack. She pulled out a slightly padded seat from a nearby table. "Have a seat," she ordered.

Buffy eyeballed the padded chair as though expecting it to attack her.

"Sit down, Buffy," Faith insisted again, sighing. "You're not gonna get any diseases from the chair. And if anyone bothers you, just kick their ass. You're a slayer, aren't you?"

Buffy sat down with a huff at the small, circular table. "Yes. I'm a slayer."

Faith looked down at the sullen, petulant slayer. "Sometimes I don't know," she lightly mocked.

Buffy wrinkled her nose. "Bring me back a drink on your way back, will you?"

Faith's frown turned into a broad grin. "Now you're talking, cutie. What'll you have?"

"Something strong." Buffy waved the other woman away. Faith smirked once more before spinning on her heels and sauntering away.

Buffy watched Faith walk away. Her eyes followed the swaggering slayer and the slight sway of her tight, denim-covered ass.

"Hey, love. What you doin' sitting here all by your lonesome?"

Buffy looked up at the sound of the male English tone, half expecting to see Spike. A lanky man stood near her table. He sat down without an invitation.

"That seat is taken," Buffy interjected. Her eyes wandered in the direction where Faith had disappeared. "My friend will be back soon."

"I know you from somewhere," the man said, ignoring her words. He leaned in closer.

Buffy grimaced. "I seem to be getting that a lot tonight," she muttered.

"No, I mean it," the man insisted. He squinted as though the action would help him remember. "It's not just a line. You're familiar."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said, shaking her head and looking for the nearest exit, "but we've never met."

The man snapped suddenly. "I know! You're Faith's bit-of-stuff. I hardly recognized you with your clothes on."

Buffy's eyes perceptibly widened. "What?" she asked in a horrified tone.

"Hey, Jerry."

"Faith!" The man jumped up from his seat. Faith had returned from the bathroom in record time just in time to see her London friend accosting the Chosen One. "Where the hell have you been hiding yourself?" Jerry demanded with a boyish grin. "I haven't seen you in like months!"

The two hugged, not explaining themselves to a very puzzled Buffy.

"I was just catching up with your old lady," Jerry said, jerking his thumb in Buffy's direction.

Faith laughed. She hadn't expected bringing Buffy into Kate's former establishment would cause such confusion. "I hate to burst your bubble, Jer, but that's not Kate."

The smile dropped off the British man's face. "No? But she looks like just her."

Faith opened her mouth. "That's because –,"

Buffy cleared her throat. "That's because I'm Kate's twin," she stated loudly, effectively interrupting her sister-Slayer.

The man's bushy eyebrows wiggled all over his forehead. "Twins, eh? You cheeky bastard." He elbowed Faith conspiratorially. "How come you have all the luck?"

"Twin, huh?"

Buffy scowled and shoved her hands deep into her jacket pockets. "Don't," she complained. "How was I supposed to know that guy knew about super naturals? Ever heard of a Secret Identity?"

"Whatever you say, Clark Kent," Faith laughed. "I'll be more careful next time."

"Hey."

A strong hand grabbed Faith by the shoulder. Instinctively she grabbed the body attached to it and threw an anonymous man against the alley wall. Faith reached for the wooden stake she always kept in the lining of her jacket and plunged it into the man's chest.

The man grabbed at his chest in pain and surprise. Faith pulled the stake out and blood poured out, pumping freely from the man's punctured, beating heart. The man looked up, his face contorted in pain and disbelief. Alan's Finch's cold, disbelieving eyes stared into Faith's own.

"Faith."

Buffy's gentle voice sounded far away, but it was enough to snap Faith back to the moment. She blinked hard and saw a man – not Allan Finch – pinned against the wall. Still alive.

"What's wrong with you, dipshit? Don't you know any better than to be jumping out at people in the middle of the night?" the Boston slayer said shakily. She didn't release her hold on the man's throat, but she dropped the hand that pressed a wooden stake against his beating heart.

The man's fingers uselessly clawed at Faith's unrelenting grip. "I know who you're looking for. I can take you to the shape-shifter," the man choked out.

Faith flexed her fingers. She could feel the man's delicate neck bones beneath the surface of his skin. "And how would you happen to know about her?" she demanded.

"The man I work for. He's behind it," the anonymous man sputtered. "He thought he'd captured that one," he noted, trying to point in Buffy's direction. "Please," the man pled. "I can't breathe."

Faith roughly released the man and he fell to his knees, coughing and gasping for air.

"Who do you work for?" Buffy demanded. She kept her eyes on the man and her body ready to fight in case he decided to attack.

"Alexander Graham," the man wheezed, his hands rubbing his reddened neck where Faith's hands had been squeezing only moments before. "Fuck, you're strong for a girl."

"Who the hell is that?" Faith demanded sourly. "Sounds like an inventor or something." Faith looked at Buffy, but the blonde merely shrugged. "What does he want with Buffy?"

"I don't know," the suffocating man admitted. "I'm just the groundskeeper."

"Why would you help us?" Buffy asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the man. "How do we know this isn't a trap?"

"I thought there might be some money involved," the man unabashedly admitted. "Like some reward for returning the girl."

"Your reward is me not bashing in your brains," Faith seethed. She raised a clenched fist at the man and he flinched.

"Take us to Kate and then we'll talk compensation later," Buffy said evenly.

Faith spun to look at her sister-Slayer. "Are you serious?" she asked incredulously. "You're really going to wheel and deal with this guy?"

"The man says he knows where Kate is," Buffy noted. "If it's a trap, then we'll just kill him."

Faith roughly ran her fingers through her loose hair. "Fuck," she cursed under her breath. "I could go for a drink."

The groundskeeper held up his hands and his eyes widened, showing off the whites. "I _swear_ it's not a trap. I'm just looking for a little extra bread."

Buffy pressed her lips together. "Then bring us to the girl."

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Dead**

"Well tonight certainly was interesting," Buffy remarked upon entering Faith's London flat.

Faith kicked off her shoes and left them by the front door. "No shit."

Faith walked past Buffy into the living room. She grabbed a remote from the glass coffee table and turned on the TV before sitting down in the center of the black, leather sofa. The London nightly news blasted through the surround-sound speakers.

Buffy stood awkwardly behind the couch and watched Faith rifle through the channels before settling on a music video channel. "We should probably get to sleep," Buffy announced. "Warren's going to meet us outside the, uh, _wing place_ at 8am."

Faith sighed and turned the TV off. "You don't seriously trust this dude, do you?"

Buffy shook her head. "No." She circled around the couch and sat in an easy chair facing the brunette. "For one, his name is _Warren_, and I've never met a Warren who wasn't evil. And two, how did he find us in that alley tonight?"

"So then why agree to go along with this guy?" Faith asked. "Why pretend we trust him?"

"Even if it's a trap," Buffy noted aloud, "maybe it will lead us to Kate or at least give us some clue as to where to find her."

Faith rubbed her finger against the glass tabletop, leaving a greasy streak on the surface. "You don't have to do this, B," she mumbled without looking up at the blonde.

Buffy made an irritated noise in the back of her throat. "We've been over this before," she said with frustration. "I'm helping. And don't even get any funny ideas about letting me over-sleep in the morning and leaving me behind."

The Boston woman looked up at the angry blonde. Buffy's bronzed cheeks had colored attractively with her frustration. Faith gave Buffy a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry. I won't mention it again."

Buffy dramatically rose from her seat. "Oh no," she blustered with emotion. "Now I've planted that idea in her head and you're thinking of ways you can ditch me. I'm not leaving your side now, lady."

Faith cocked an eyebrow. "Geez, B. If you wanted to sleep with me, all you had to do was ask."

Buffy's jaw dropped. "That's not what this is about!" she squeaked in protest.

Faith stood up. "Uh huh," she deadpanned. "In fact, I wouldn't put it past you to have Kate kidnapped just so you could spend more time with me," she joked.

"That's ridiculous!" Buffy protested.

Faith swaggered toward the back of the apartment, leaving Buffy to fume.

"Hey!" Buffy called out. She stomped behind Faith. "You can't just say that and walk away."

"Looks like that's what I'm doing," the brunette casually remarked.

Buffy grabbed onto Faith's wrist, causing the other slayer to abruptly spin around.

"Take it back," she ordered.

Faith eyeballed her slaying partner. "You seem pretty upset."

"How could you accuse me of that?" Buffy steamed. "Whatever my feelings are about this whole Kate-situation, you can't honestly think I ever wanted her to be in danger."

Faith glanced down at the vise-grip Buffy had on her wrist. "It was just a joke, B. Cool it."

Buffy roughly released Faith's arm. "Some joke," she grumbled. "_You're_ the joke."

Faith's eyebrows rose on her forehead. "What's funny is your lame attempts at come-backs."

"No, what's funny is you playing hero and swooping in to save the damsel in distress," Buffy angrily countered.

"No, what's _hilarious_ is you not realizing how _jealous _you are of what Kate and I have together," Faith stated, raising the stakes.

"Jealous?" Buffy's voice cracked on the syllables. "Jealous of a pathetic make-believe relationship with someone who's a second-hand version of me?"

"Oh, now you've done it," Faith growled. She looked around the immediate vicinity for something to break because she was perilously close to breaking Buffy.

"Admit it, Faith," Buffy animatedly continued, growing bolder and verbally reckless as she gained momentum. "The only time you were ever happy is when you were pretending to be with me."

"What's your point?" Faith sneered. "What do you want? Some kind of award? Yeah, I'm a fuck up – I'm a masochist. I admit it. 'Cause what other excuse could I possibly have for wanting to be with someone like you."

The fuming brunette couldn't control the waves of words that poured out of her. "Me being with Kate couldn't possibly be due to the fact that she's funny, caring, and enjoys doing things that I like… no, none of that matters at all. Shit, maybe you'd like to take credit for that, too? "

Buffy's eyes went wide. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe Kate could only be those things because she was wearing the face of the god-almighty Buffy Summers," Faith growled. "Maybe she's just this empty doll that got uploaded with all the best parts of you, and is nothing more than a shell of a person."

Buffy frowned and folded her hands across her chest. "I didn't say that."

Faith's face clouded. "Yeah? Well, with the way you speak about her, you pretty much don't have to."

"Stop overlooking the fact that your relationship only happened because you wanted to play house with _me_," Buffy stubbornly countered.

Faith threw up her hands in disgust. "Jesus, that's all you've got. Get over that fact for a second and understand that Kate may have looked like you, but she's _nothing _like you, and I _did _fall in love with her."

"Love?" Buffy sniffed. "I guess I can see how you could confuse the words_ lust_ and _love_. They're both four letter-words."

"Alright then, have it your way… I'm the dumb fuck up. But you know what? At least I have real emotions," Faith steamrolled on. "At least _this_ dumb fuckup can love. Not you, though. You have no heart. Your friends brought you back to life, but they might as well have brought back a zombie. You can't feel anything that's real, Buffy. _You're dead on the inside_."

Buffy gave a small cry and slapped the brunette across the face.

Faith brought up her own hand and touched her cheek, stunned by Buffy's reaction. The right side of her face felt hot.

Buffy stood before the other slayer with her fists clenched at her sides and her bottom lip trembling.

Faith remained with her hand against her stinging cheekbone. "Buffy…" she rasped.

With her free hand, she reached out for the shaking slayer. Buffy flinched as if expecting the Boston woman to strike her as she had. When she found only comfort coming from Faith's fingertips, she turned her head away. Large tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Buffy," Faith tried again. "C'mon," she coaxed. "Look at me."

The Chosen One closed her eyes tightly, but turned her face toward the sound of the Bostonian's rasp. A low chuckle rattled out of Faith's throat. "I said _look at me_," she lightly ordered.

Hesitantly, Buffy's hazel-green eyes fluttered open. Her recently shed tears made the green shine in her eyes more vibrantly. Faith stroked her thumbs beneath the blonde's eyes, swiping away at the tear stains. Her dark chocolate eyes drank in the elder slayer's features.

Buffy's breath hitched in her throat when she realized that Faith was slowly closing the distance between them. She could feel her heart throbbing in her chest and worried it was beating so loud that Faith could hear it as well.

Buffy watched as her sister-Slayer wet her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. Her face seemed to be getting closer and her mouth larger and more inviting. Neither of them breathed a word as they slowly crept closer.

When they were only a breath's distance apart, Faith spoke again: "I know you can feel this."

Buffy sighed when their lips touched for the first time. Faith's mouth was warm and soft and pliable.

Buffy brought her hands up to Faith's face and ran her thumbs along the curve of her jaw line and dug her other fingertips into her scalp. She moaned when Faith deepened the kiss and possessively held her hips. When Faith parted her lips with her tongue, Buffy mentally mused that she could go on like this forever. Except…

Buffy, with effort, pulled herself away. "Faith…wait…" she gasped.

"What?" Faith's eyes narrowed with concern. She searched Buffy's face for answers. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…everything…" Buffy sighed and turned her eyes away. "We have to get up early in the morning," she reminded the other woman.

Faith grimaced. "Warren."

Buffy nodded and released a slow, uneasy breath. "Yeah."

Faith dropped her eyes guilty to the ground. "To save Kate."

"Right." Buffy reached out and grabbed the other slayer's hand. Faith's long, tapered fingers seemed to intertwine naturally with hers. "To save Kate."

Buffy drummed her fingers nervously against the empty passenger seat in the back of Faith's small, English car. Outside her window flashes of green and grey passed by as the small vehicle sped cautiously down unfamiliar streets just outside the London city limits.

Buffy stared at the back of Faith's head, admiring how the waves of brunette curls twisted and turned like a chaotic waterfall. Things had become heated between the two slayers the previous night. First with words and then with the kissing. Buffy enjoyed a private, immature smile at the thought that all those activities had been done with their mouths. She'd had enough foresight to stop things before they'd gone too far, however.

In light of the confusing make-out session, the two had slept in separate rooms. Faith had reasoned it would be "for the best" and reminded the blonde that they needed to be "fully rested" and "on top of their game" in the morning. Buffy had rolled her eyes at the clichés, although she did know not sleeping next to Faith that night really would be "for the best." But it didn't make her pout any less.

Buffy currently pushed those thoughts aside, however. There would be time later to torment herself over what this all meant. For now, she needed to focus on rescuing Kate – not that she naively believed having the shape-shifter back would make things any less complicated between Faith and her.

"Take the next left."

Seated beside Faith in the front of the car was the man from the alley who'd been so eager to help. Since meeting up with the Slayers earlier that day he'd been providing Faith with verbal directions to his employer's house where Kate was supposedly being held captive. The gardener assured the two slayers that his boss would be gone during the day, busy at his place of employment. The two could slip in undetected and rescue Kate before anyone realized the shape-shifter was missing.

Warren tapped on his window. "Slow down," he gruffly instructed the brunette driver. "This is the place."

Outside their vehicle loomed a grand estate. In the center of acres of land was a sprawling mansion that made Giles' country home look like a quaint cottage. Tall, iron-wrought fences surrounded the entire compound, warding off unwanted visitors.

Faith pulled her car to the curb and put it in park. "Woah," she murmured, awed by the size of the mansion. "What does your boss do exactly?"

The gardener shrugged and unfastened his seatbelt. "I don't ask too many questions. And as long as I keep the rose garden healthy, he doesn't bother me either."

"Then how did you find out about the kidnapping if you keep to yourself so much?" Faith questioned suspiciously.

Warren exited the passenger side and the two slayers followed suit. "I had to get some fertilizer from the basement and I stumbled upon the blonde girl," the man revealed. "Mr. Graham paid me for my silence. He said there'd been a mistake and the girl would be released soon anyway."

"Sounds like Mr. Graham didn't make a very good investment," Faith remarked.

The three accomplices stood outside the overbearing mansion, staring at the house through the black fence.

Buffy, speaking for the first time since they'd begun their day-trip, asked the question on Faith's mind. "You expect us to scale this fence? In broad daylight?" she asked, looking up at the ominous wrought-iron fencing.

"Of course not. I'm the gardener," the man said as though insulted. "I've got the code." He briskly stepped to the front gate and pressed a series of keys. A buzzing noise sounded and the mechanized gate slowly swung open.

"This is as far as I go," Warren noted. His eyes shifted in his head. "I can't risk being caught with you two inside. I got my family to think of."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Family. Right."

The man hustled off without another word.

Faith watched the man briskly walking away down the sidewalk. "I can't believe I just dropped 5 grand on some snitch."

"I'll return that necklace and then you'll break even," Buffy offered at her side.

"Like hell you will," Faith snorted.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Now what?"

Faith strode through the front gate and up to the front door of the large house. "I guess it's time for a little breaking and entering?" She took her jacket off and wrapped the leather around her fist. Aiming for the narrow pane of glass at the top of the front door, Faith cocked her

"Wait." Buffy stopped the brunette before she could smash the window. She tried the front door handle and found it unlocked. The door swung open. "How about we avoid the breaking and just do some entering?" she said with a smug smile.

Faith looked disappointed at not being able to destroy private property. She glumly shrugged back into her leather jacket. "Yeah…that works, too."

Cautiously the two slayers walked into the empty front foyer. As they passed the front threshold, a piercing alarm sounded.

"Damn it. I knew this was a trap," Buffy lamented.

"Shit," Faith swore. "Now what?"

"We split up?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "And the award for Worst Plan of the Year goes to..."

"This is probably our one chance at finding Kate or finding a clue as to who took her," Buffy reminded her sister-Slayer, "and the police or some military force or, hell, some demon hell-dogs are gonna show up any second. We can cover twice the ground if we split up," she pragmatically pointed out.

"If we split up, we double our risk of getting caught," the brunette protested.

"We're already caught." Buffy looked at her watch. "15 minutes and we meet up again as close to the car as you dare, depending on who shows up to take care of that alarm. Don't argue with me, Faith," the blonde ordered, sensing the other woman's hesitance. "We don't have time for that."

"Fine," Faith grumbled, clearly not happy with the plan."

Buffy quickly surveyed their surroundings. "I'll take the main floor and then check upstairs for Kate. There's got to be a basement entrance, so you go look for that."

Faith nodded briskly. She went left and stalked down the hallway.

"Faith?"

The Boston slayer stopped and looked back at the blonde. "Yeah?"

Buffy bit her bottom lip. "Don't get killed, okay?" she said in a voice not much larger than her body. "It…it would make me sad."

Faith showed off her dimples. Her smile seemed to light up the darkened foyer. "I'll do my best. Cause I certainly wouldn't want to make you sad."

Buffy did a quick sweep of the main floor. She discovered a commercial-sized kitchen, a formal dining room, and a messy bedroom that looked out of place in the immaculate mansion. She opened every closed door and found only pantries, coat closets, and storage. No Kate. One final door remained unexamined before she would try the upstairs.

Subconsciously holding her breath, Buffy tried the bronze doorknob. Finding it unlocked like every other lock in the house, she pulled the door and discovered what looked to be an office library.

She was about to close the door when something in the room caught her eye. "What the…" she murmured.

Buffy entered the room, not bothering to shut the door behind her. As if pulled by an unseen force, she walked toward an antique desk positioned along the nearest wall. On the desk was a framed photograph. Buffy picked up the picture.

"What are you doing here?" she softly asked the photograph. She wistfully ran her fingertips along the photographed man's features. Her fingers came away coated in dust.

"I was saddened to hear about Rupert's untimely death," came a deep, disapproving voice from behind her. "But I suppose it was to be expected."

Buffy started, nearly dropping the framed picture. Still clutching the photo, she spun around to face the hauntingly familiar voice. Her hazel-eyed widened when she recognized the man seated in a corner.

"_You?"_ she exclaimed, nearly dropping the photograph all over again. "You're supposed to be_ dead_."

Quentin Travers wheeled himself out of the shadows. He placed his hands in his lap. "I could say the same thing about you, Miss Summers."

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Some Things Can't Be Unseen **

"You're supposed to be dead."

"Don't look so surprised, Ms. Summers. Rumor has it, you've died at least twice. Unfortunately for me, I don't seem to have quite the luck that you have." Quentin Travers poked at his immobile legs, which rested useless in his wheelchair. "Only half of me is really still alive."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" Buffy asked. She narrowed her hazel-green eyes at the former Head of the Watchers Council.

The man pressed his lips together. "No, I suppose not," he considered. "Especially after all I've done. I have to admit though, I was pleasantly surprised at how itchy your government got when the phrase 'domestic terrorist' reached their ears."

Buffy's eyes widened. "That was _you_?"

Travers looked momentarily smug from his two-wheeled prison. "How else do you think the United States military found out about you and your little Slayer Cells?"

Buffy ground her back teeth, resisting the urge to beat a man in a wheelchair. "I suppose it's cliché to ask, but _why_," she implored. "Why did you try to destroy the slayer line?"

"On the contrary, Ms. Summers. I wasn't trying to destroy the line, but only bring it back to the way it used to be," the man protested in his calm, yet grating voice. "If we want to split hairs, _you're _the one who severed the slayer line when you destroyed the Seed of Wonder."

Buffy crossed her arms across her chest to deflect the sting of the words. She never liked dwelling on the consequences of her actions from that day. She'd done what she'd thought was right, in that moment. But the longer she had to reflect on her decision, the more she realized that destroying the Seed may have only temporarily saved the world. Eventually all the slayers would die out. And then the world was doomed.

"I had no choice," she said flatly.

"Right. Because you and your vampire boyfriend coupled and created an Entity determined to end our world," the Englishman snorted. "Did it never occur to you why Wolfram & Hart kept Angelus alive for so long?" A cruel smile twisted on Travers' lips. "They knew he'd bring about the End of the World; they just didn't know exactly how."

Buffy blinked a few times as the Watcher's words sunk in. "Twilight."

"Yes," Travers confirmed. His hands went to the rubber wheels of his chair, and he maneuvered himself over to Buffy. He gingerly took away the photo Buffy continued to clutch and put it back on the desk. "I told Rupert he needed to tell you about Twilight," he said, staring at the image of Buffy's long-time mentor. "If you'd stayed away from Angelus, the line would still be intact."

Buffy felt her resolve crumbling at the mention of her former Watcher's name. "Giles knew you were still alive?"

Travers wheeled himself around to once again appraise the standing slayer. "Very much so. But then again, you weren't really in touch with him all that much, were you Ms. Summers?" he snidely quipped. "I suppose it would have been more appropriate if he would have shared his information with Ms. Lehane."

Buffy swallowed hard. "Tell me something I don't know, Travers." The man's cruel words had once again steeled her. She cocked her hip to one side and placed her defiant hands on her hips. "Everything has been _my fault_ ever since I was Called."

Travers settled his hands back on his lap. "It's time for new leadership, Ms. Summers," he announced in a clipped voice. "It's time for you to step down."

"Isn't that a little like the pot calling the kettle black?" Buffy shot back.

A hint of a genuine smile played on Travers' mouth. "Your use of metaphors has improved," he remarked.

"I'm not that high school girl anymore," Buffy saucily remarked. She stood taller. "I'm the most celebrated and accomplishedSlayer history has ever witnessed."

"Someone's a little high on their horse," Travers sniffed.

"No," Buffy stated, shaking her head, "it's just the truth. I've averted _multiple _apocalypses. I defeated _The First Evil_. I _ended _magic."

"You _ended_ the Slayer line, you insolent girl," Travers snapped angrily. "Because of you, no Slayer will ever be called again."

"Then I guess you're out of a job," Buffy smirked. "Stop holding onto the past, Travers. We're in a new world. A new era. One where the only menace we Slayers have to face is vampires and the drudgery of part-time employment. Just the way it should be."

"And when the final Slayer has died? What then, Ms. Summers?" Travers posed bitterly. "Would you allow our world to be taken over by the undead?"

"We'll find all the vampires before that happens," Buffy insisted. "We'll find them, and we'll kill them."

"Does that include your vampire lovers?" Travers asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at the crippled man. "That's different. Angel and Spike have souls."

"So do I," Travers smugly pointed out. "So did _Simone_. And yet apparently you had no problem killing her." The man shook his head disapprovingly "You're making up the rules as you go, Ms. Summers. And that's something I cannot abide."

"I had no choice," Buffy stated between clenched teeth. "The Rule Book the Council gave me was out-of-date," she growled in frustration. "And speaking of which, when did you decide to become interested in me and my business again? The Council has been out of my life for _years_."

"I'm an old man, Slayer." Travers gestured towards his useless legs. "And my body is broken beyond repair. When a man gets to be my age, he starts to worry about his Legacy. How will History remember me? As the last Director of the Watcher's Council who let a blonde girl from California make a mockery of the Council?" Travers shook his head. "No, I think not."

"And so you do what?" Buffy stubbornly countered. "Take down the Slayer Cells one by one? Try to have me killed? Leave the world defenseless with no slayers?"

"The world has a way of working these things out, Miss Summers," Travers vaguely responded. "After the final slayer has died, I'm confident the Slayer line will be reinstated when another girl is needed. You may have banished magic from the world when you foolishly destroyed the Seed of Wonder, but the Slayer's power is old magic whose origins are from this realm, not a different dimension."

"And until that happens?" Buffy countered. "You're just going to do what? Hunt down all the current slayers and have them killed just because you don't like the chain of command?"

Travers waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be so pedestrian. I have no intention of killing so many innocent girls." The man looked momentarily thoughtful. "Although…if you're really going to be a stickler for details, _you're _the one who gave them that power, so _you're _the one who signed their death warrants."

Buffy threw up her hands in frustration. "And again…I did it to _save the world_."

"For now."

The two nemeses stared at each other. A grandfather clock ticked loudly in the corner of the room.

"What will you do now that you've found me, Miss Summers?" Travers asked after a tension-filled moment. "Kill me?"

"You tried to have _me _killed," Buffy pointed out. "Why shouldn't I return the favor?"

"Culling Simone was a mistake," Travers shrugged. "I'll admit to that. But she was your most vocal dissenter, so I was sure she wouldn't betray our cause to spare you."

Buffy rolled her eyes. Talking to this man was getting her nowhere. "Is Kate even here, or did you have me brought here so you could bore me to death?"

Travers' lined forehead furrowed. "Who's Kate?"

Buffy clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Nice of you to keep track of the girls you kidnap. Kate. She's a shape-shifter. About so tall?" She held up her hand parallel with her head. "Sometimes looks just like me. Ringing any bells?"

"Ah, yes! The shift-less shape-shifter!" Travers exclaimed as his face lit up with recognition. "That was a bit of a surprise." He shook his head and chuckled. "Who in the world would purposely want to look like _you_?"

Buffy's lips formed a hard line. "Thanks."

"If I were a basement, where would I be?" Faith muttered to herself.

Faith moved quickly along the ground floor of the oversized mansion. Normally she would have been more careful, but with the shrill shriek of the home security system jack-hammering in her head, her pace had become more urgent and frantic.

She'd quickly by-passed a number of formal rooms and now found herself in the back portion of the house that was, no doubt, the stomping grounds for the hired help. As it was the weekend, however, she found the mansion eerily abandoned.

She paused when she entered a large tiled room where a number of laundry machines were lined against a wall. Next to one of the washers was a metal cage that looked built into the wall. Two buttons, one red and one green, jut out of the wall. The caged wall was the door to a service elevator.

"Jackpot," Faith murmured.

With a jarring rattle, Faith shoved the metal, accordion-like door out of the way. Inside the large elevator were only two translucent buttons. Neither had any writing or symbols to indicate what would happen when pressed.

"Here goes nothin'," Faith sighed. She pressed the lowest positioned button and waited.

A small engine whirred to life, mingling with the constant shriek of the alarm system. The metal doors slammed shut and the elevator box jolted once before beginning its slow descent into the ground.

Faith watched the ground floor slowly slip away from sight. Within a minute the elevator stopped. The lights went out and the box shuddered once again. The dark slayer's heart sank before the lights flicked back on again.

Faith retched the doors open, the metal protesting all the while. The brunette now found herself on a different floor. A long, green hallway greeted her. She stood inside the open elevator momentarily, just listening.

Now in the basement, she could hardly hear the incessant cry of the alarm system. She took a tentative step out of the elevator, almost waiting for another alarm to trip or for someone – or something – to jump out at her.

When nothing happened, Faith stepped completely out of the elevator. The doors stayed open behind her. It appeared that until someone from another floor called the lift, the elevator would remain on the basement floor. Faith made a mental note of the escape route although it hadn't been the swiftest of transportation.

The green hallway stretched before the dark slayer. Closed doors lined the corridor on either side. Faith tried each door as she passed, but found them all locked.

"Great. Leave your front door open, but lock up the basement," Faith grumbled. "What secrets are you hiding?"

At the end of the long, lifeless hallway was another door. This one, however, had a window.

Faith peered through the chicken-wired mesh covering the window pane. Beyond the closed door looked to be a laboratory. She could see tubes and flasks and all kinds of science equipment that if she'd paid better attention in her high school chemistry class, she would have probably been able to identify.

The room appeared vacant. Until a flash of blonde hair caught her eye.

Faith tried the door. Locked.

"Fuck this," she cursed.

Faith took a step away from the door and kicked at the obstacle with all her strength. The door blasted off its hinges and the doorframe shattered. Shards of wood flew through the air and into the room.

Faith rushed into the room. "Buffy?"

Seated, tied, and gagged to a chair was the blonde slayer. Her wrists and ankles were bound to the arms and legs of the chair. Her limbs looked brutally bruised. Her tear-streaked face was swollen, and her hazel-green eyes puffed up to the point that it looked painful for her to even hold them open.

Faith scrambled over to the slayer and immediately began working on the tight knots. "What the hell happened to you? We just got here!"

The blonde girl muffled her reply against the cloth gag shoved in her mouth. Faith abandoned the knots at her wrists and worked on the gag instead.

When the cloth had been loosened enough, she spit the gag from her mouth. Her lips were dry and cracked, and the edges of her mouth were an irritated pink from the tight gag.

"I'm Kate," she managed to croak out.

Faith's breath caught in her throat. A flood of thoughts and questions crowded into her brain. She'd found Kate. It wasn't Buffy beaten. Kate had been badly injured. Kate still looked like Buffy.

"You still look like her," Faith stated as way of apologizing for the confusion.

"They did something to me, Faith," the shape-shifter sobbed.

Faith continued to claw at the tight knots at Kate's wrists and ankles. "I know. You look more tenderized than a steak," she noted, not looking up from her task.

"No. I mean they gave me something," Kate sputtered out between heaving sobs. "A drug or something. I can't…I can't shift anymore," she choked. "I keep trying, but I'm stuck like this. I'm stuck looking like Buffy."

"Faith?"

The brunette slayer stood and spun on her heels. Another familiar blonde slayer stood in the doorway of the laboratory, looking confused.

"Buffy?" Faith questioned, no longer sure what was going on.

The Californian blinked once. "Who else would I be?"

Faith stepped to one side. "I found Kate," she said, pointing at the seated girl.

Buffy glanced briefly in the direction of the woman who continued to look like her mirror image. "So I see," she said sullenly. "And why does she still look like me?"

"I'm stuck!" Kate hollered indignantly. She rattled her arms against the ties at her wrists. "They did something to me and I'm stuck looking like this!" The shape-shifter began to cough violently. Her body jerked beneath her bindings.

"Shit," Faith muttered. She stooped back down to her knees and continued working on the knots at Kate's ankles. "Come Calm down, hun," she soothed. "You're injured. Getting yourself all worked up isn't going to help."

"I'm not doing this on purpose," Kate mumbled miserably. Fat tears slid down her swollen cheeks.

"I know, Kate," Faith reassured in a gentle tone. "Just try to stay still so I can untie you, okay?"

Kate's bottom lip trembled, but the woman who looked like Buffy nodded her consent.

Faith made quick work of the remaining knots and finally freed the bruised blonde. Kate remained seated and rubbed at her raw wrists. "Let's get you out of here," Faith said to the injured girl.

Buffy's hesitant voice drew Faith's attention away from Kate: "Faith…" Buffy swallowed hard, not wanting to believe her eyes. "What is this place?"

Faith had been so intent on saving the shape-shifting woman, she hadn't taken time to inspect her surroundings. The flash of blonde hair through the laboratory window had given her momentary blinders.

Buffy stooped slightly to better inspect the super-sized test tubes lined up in careful rows on a stainless steel countertop.

She choked down a wave of nausea at the sight of closed eyelids and tiny hands floating in translucent fluid. She reached out to touch the glass, but pulled her hand back at the last minute. "Are these…people?"

As the Boston woman stared around the sterile laboratory as well, her throat constricted. The room was suddenly reminiscent of an old horror film she'd snuck into when she was young. She'd had nightmares for weeks afterwards. There are just some things that can't be unseen.

"I think…" Faith stopped, coughed, and cleared her throat. "I think they're farming slayers."

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: Kaboom**

Buffy stood to her full height. "Farming slayers?"

Faith indicated to their surroundings. "What other explanation is there for growing people in a basement and wanting to kidnap you? They're growing _slayers_, Buffy." She swallowed thickly. "Someone must've figured out a way to harvest slayer DNA or something."

Buffy sucked in a sharp breath. "It's Quentin Travers. I ran into him upstairs," she revealed. "He's the one behind all this."

The brunette was unable to mask her surprise. "_What? _But Giles told us he'd died along with the rest of the Watcher Counsel._"_

Buffy shrugged impassively. "Giles lied."

A wild look momentarily overtook Faith's features. She grabbed an empty test tube and threw it against a wall. The thin glass easily shattered, spraying a thin layer of glass in the area. Buffy didn't react or scold the Bostonian for her reaction. Truth be told, she felt like a little destruction as well.

"I don't get it, though," Buffy mused aloud. "How does growing multiple slayers restore the slayer line? Travers told me that was the reason why he revealed us to the US Army and set Simone after me."

"It doesn't," Faith growled. "It's just a blank slate for people who want to play God with their ideal of what a slayer is. Leaving it up to _fate_ to pick us is ironically too unpredictable."

The word "unpredictable" played on the dark slayer's mind. She pulled out the silver Zippo she always carried in the right pocket of her leather jacket. She flipped the top open and a flame flicked to life.

"What are you doing?" Buffy questioned.

"Just a little friendly arson," Faith responded calmly.

Buffy caught the other slayer's forearm. "You're just going to torch the place? That's your solution?"

Faith's dark eyes flashed at the Chosen One. "And what's your plan, Blondie? Let these little test-tube slayers grow up? Let the Watchers Council _artificially create slayers_? If that happens, we're dead. We're obsolete. It's either us or them."

"Faith. Just…just wait," Buffy implored.

"For what?" the raven-haired woman pressed.

"Please," the elder woman urged helplessly. Her hazel green eyes implored the other woman.

"Fine," Faith grunted. She flicked the lighter closed. "But clock's tickin', B," she reminded the elder slayer. "We gotta bust outta here even if the building's not on fire."

Buffy walked to a metal filing cabinet and opened the center drawer. The shelf slid open easily. Inside were a number of file folders and dividers.

"What are you looking for?" Faith questioned.

"I don't know," Buffy admitted. "But it would be pretty reckless to torch the place without looking around first."

The Bostonian let out a shaky breath of unease. "Just hurry up, okay? This place is giving me the creeps."

"Agreed," Buffy noted, not looking up from her reading. Her eyes narrowed as she read the name on a yellowing folder. "The hell?"

She pulled the folder from its place and slammed the drawer shut.

"What you got there?" Faith asked.

"I'll look at it later," Buffy clipped. "You gonna burn this place down or what?"

A broad smile spread across the brunette's face. "I thought you'd never ask."

Faith quickly assembled a make-shift bomb. She grabbed a beaker, and filled it with a clear chemical that looked potentially flammable. She hoped it worked though because she didn't want to look like a novice in front of both Buffy and Kate. She had a reputation for destruction to uphold, after all.

She flicked her lighter to life again, pulling a thin blue-white flame from the top. She held the flame to the scrap of cloth dangling from the glass flask. And after a moment to assure the fire had caught, she threw the makeshift explosive into a far corner of the room.

The glass shattered and a contained ball of fire erupted in its wake. The growing fire illuminated behind Faith's form, sucking the oxygen out of the room to feed its insatiable hunger.

Not forgetting the reason why they'd come, Faith held out her hand to Kate who had remained silent and seated since her discovery. The frozen shifter gratefully took the offered hand and stood, wincing and holding onto her ribs. "I don't think I can make it," she wheezed in pain.

Without a word, Faith slightly stooped and gingerly picked up the small blonde woman. Kate wrapped her arms around Faith's neck.

Faith turned back to her sister-slayer. "Time to go."

Buffy cocked her head and appraised Faith and the shifter. It was surreal to see the dark slayer holding onto her twin like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold. She had to admit…they looked good together.

The escape out of the burning mansion was much quicker than their tentative exploration inside. Eschewing the ancient service elevator, the three women took a quick flight of stairs back to the ground level and immediately rushed out of the smoldering home.

Faith stopped a few hundred feet in front of the building to carefully set Kate down on the manicured lawn. The three women took a moment to appraise the damage. The flames began to engulf the mansion. Thick, black smoke rose in the air. Bright orange flames flickered from the first floor windows.

The sound of an explosion jolted Buffy as windows at the front of the house began spontaneously shattering from the fire's oppressive heat. "Oh hell," she muttered under her breath. She hazarded a quick glance at both Kate and Faith before sprinting back towards the house.

"Buffy!" Faith called out in alarm. She immediately began to chase after the quickly moving slayer. "Stay there!" she yelled over her shoulder to Kate.

"Not a problem," the shifter winced from her prone position on the front lawn. It hurt just watching the two slayers run in the direction of the burning mansion.

Faith cursed loudly when she was the blonde dart back into the burning building through the open front door. "Mother fuckin' death wish!"

Faith followed inside and was immediately met with dry, scorching heat. She sucked in a deep breath, knowing full-well it might be her last. She held her forearm in front of her face, trying to shield herself from the intense inferno that had reached the ground level. She squinted through the blaze, trying to make out any moving shapes.

"Buffy!" she called again.

Buffy suddenly reappeared in front of her, carrying a body slumped over one shoulder. "Let's get out of here!" the blonde yelled.

Not needing to be told twice, Faith scrambled back out of the burning house.

The two slayers made their way back to Kate beyond the blaze. Buffy flopped the unconscious body on the grass.

Faith's eyes widened in recognition. "You went back for _him_?"

Buffy stared down at Quentin Travers. He was unconscious, but his chest rose and fell with steady breaths. "I couldn't have another death of my conscience," she explained darkly.

In the distance, the howling of police and fire engines resounded through the English countryside.

Buffy waited patiently while Faith and a shorter brunette doctor conversed beyond the reach of her slayer hearing. She hugged herself, watching the two women interact. Their body language, along with their moving lips, were undecipherable.

After a moment longer, Faith turned on her heels and began to walk away from the doctor, back in Buffy's direction. The brunette had a frown that etched itself upon her brow. Slowly, the younger slayer walked past her blonde companion and out of the care center, glancing back a few times at the room Kate was in before completely walking outside.

"You would think a place like this wouldn't have rules like a damn hospital," she said with little energy to found in her voice.

Buffy chewed on her bottom lip, unsure of her place or her role in any of this. "What is this place anyway?" she questioned. "Is it even safe for Kate to be alone here?"

Faith pushed out a deep, tired breath. She reached for a crumpled pack of cigarettes from her back pocket. "It's just a spot that _anyone_ can go to get better," she explained as she fished a single cigarette from the soft pack. "They don't ask too many questions. But, yeah… it's safe."

Buffy watched Faith light the tip of her cigarette and breathe in a deep, cathartic breath. "How did you find out about this place?"

The cigarette dangled from Faith's generous lips. "Giles."

"Oh."

Faith took another drag and released a thin stream of smoke into the evening sky. "I know _you're_ anti-hospitals, but even a kick-ass slayer like me needs to get patched up sometimes. This place came in pretty handy a few times," she explained. "They don't ask questions, they take cash, and no funny looks when you stumble in with broken ribs and a messed up face."

"What do you think's gonna happen to Travers?"

"With pending charges of kidnapping and attempted murder? Let's hope he goes to jail for the rest of his miserable life." Faith frowned. "You're a helluva better person than me, B. I woulda let that fucker burn."

Buffy's face crumbled. "You know I couldn't have done that," she said admonishingly.

Faith pulled deeply from her cigarette. "I know," she confirmed breathing out. "Hence why you're better than me."

The blonde looked down at her hands. "Not better," she muttered.

The two slayers stood in silence outside the clandestine care center. After a moment, Buffy spoke again. "So why are we out here?" she asked. "Don't you want to be in there with Kate?"

"Rules. Not family or married to her. So, you know the deal." Looking back at the building that stood tall behind her, Faith couldn't help but shut her eyes for a few long seconds and exhaling all there was in her lungs.

"She'll be okay," Buffy chirped reassuringly when she recognized the guilt resting on Faith's features. She awkwardly patted Faith's forearm. "And I'm sure they'll call you the moment she can have visitors."

The younger slayer only nodded in response. She discarded her half-wasted cigarette and stomped it out with her heavy boots.

"Hey, she was talking when we found her," Buffy tried again. "I'm sure she'll heal fast, and who knows, maybe she'll be back to work for your favorite 'wing spot' by the end of the week."

The last comment lured a genuine smile from the dark brunette.

"She'll be fine," Faith said reassuring herself. She nodded absently. "She's a strong girl, and she'll heal up just fine," she repeated Buffy's words.

"Yes." Nodding in agreement, Buffy held unto Faith's gaze, unsure of what to do with her hands in that moment. After a minute of silent reassurance, Buffy broke away from their stare. "So… now what?"

"I dunno," Faith shrugged. "Hungry?"

One of Buffy's carefully manicured eyebrows rose. "Not if you want chicken wings."

"You're not gonna let that drop, are you?" Faith smirked.

"Probably not."

"Well, since there's not much else we can do to help Kate right now, I guess we could head back to the flat," Faith mused aloud. "Or we could go back to Giles' country house, if you want."

"Would it be a giant hassle to go back to the farm?" Buffy winced, not wanting to be a pain. "I kind of like it there more than the apartment."

Faith held her hands at her sides. "Whatever you want, Princess. Truth be told," she admitted wistfully. "I'm kind of looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight, too."

Buffy looked shyly at the brunette. "Alone?"

The smile on Faith's face broadened until it threatened to cleave her face in half. "Hell no, Blondie."

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: Eggs**

_Required listening: Kate Bush – "Nicest Thing"_

"Hey, B. Wake up…"

The blonde's eyes briefly fluttered, but she didn't wake up. Instead, she rolled on her side for better comfort and tightened her hold on Faith's arm.

"Jebus, you sleep like a rock," the brunette slayer complained. She carefully swept a few blonde strands of hair away from Buffy's unlined face. "And we didn't even do anything to wear you out like that."

After leaving Kate to heal at the clandestine care center in London, the two slayers had returned to the countryside mansion. By the time they'd gotten back to the farm house, it had been late. They'd eaten a quick dinner and then promptly gone to bed.

Faith remembered with a fond smile the shy, hesitant smile that had fluttered across Buffy's lips when she'd asked to sleep in her bed that night. It was starting to become routine for the two to spend the night together in her bed. Nothing beyond any serious snuggling had ever happened, however. And although Faith missed those more intimate moments, she was confused enough without diving into sex and all that meant.

Faith readjusted herself so her arm was more comfortable under Buffy's head.

"Your head's like a frickin' boulder… God," she muttered, clenching and unclenching her hand to coax more circulation into her confiscated limb. "That would explain the stubbornness though."

Faith pushed herself up on the bed to a slightly seated position. The spring mattress lightly groaned its complaint under her movement. She peaked down at Buffy only to find her eyes still closed.

"Still nothing, huh?" she laughed to herself. Out of habit, something she'd always done with Kate, she began lightly stroking the blonde's hair. Her hand stiffened after a moment. "What are you doing, Faith?" she breathed out loud, catching herself.

Even though her former girlfriend was now apparently stuck looking like the Chosen One, perhaps permanently, Faith fully realized this was Buffy in bed with her, not Kate.

"I don't even know if you like this." Faith resumed stroking her fingertips through the corn-silk soft strands. "I don't know much about anything that's happening right now," she quietly confessed to the still-sleeping girl. "You're so damn confusing, woman," she cursed. Faith released a long sigh and looked up at the ceiling. "But I ain't gonna complain." She shook her head. "Can't ever complain about these past few weeks. You being here...being like this…you don't know what it's meant to me."

Faith rested her head back against the wooden headboard. "Damn it, B. Wake up."

Still unsuccessful in waking the elder slayer, Faith sighed. She brushed her knuckles over Buffy's bare arm. Feeling the goosebumps on the other woman's skin, she looked for an extra blanket. During the night, one of them had kicked off the covers toward the corner of the bed, furthest from the brunette.

With her free arm, Faith tried to grab the blanket, but it was just out of reach. She bit her bottom lip, concentrating as she arched a leg over Buffy's body to hook onto the sheet with her foot.

"Fuck," she cursed when she only succeeding in giving herself leg cramps. Aching pain shot through the arch of her foot and up through her calf, and she abandoned her attempt to retrieve the blanket.

She looked back down at the sleeping slayer. "I guess this is what you get for moving around so much at night," she chastised the slumbering girl. "You get to suffer the cold now….and I do, too."

Faith could feel how cold Buffy's skin was. The generations-old farm house was especially drafty this time of year. She started to lightly rub her free hand against Buffy's arms to warm her up.

"You don't give up do you?" Buffy murmured, her eyes still closed.

Faith's body jerked. "Shit. How long have you been up?"

Buffy's hazel-green eyes snapped open. "Since you woke me up by saying 'hey wake up'."

Faith sucked in a sharp breath. "So… you heard all of that?"

Buffy looked up at Faith and nodded. The brunette visibly flushed and averted her gaze. Recognizing the other woman's embarrassment and not wanting to prolong Faith's discomfort, Buffy pushed herself up and off of the younger slayer.

She sat up in bed and stretched her arms above her head with a soft yawn. She pulled her loose hair back into a tight ponytail with the hair band she kept around her right wrist and slipped off the mattress. She wordlessly headed in the direction of the attached bathroom, but paused momentarily to look back and smile at Faith.

Buffy caught the younger slayer's gaze. She pulled on a sweater she found on the ground over her tank top. It was Faith's, but she knew the other woman wouldn't mind. "You know Faith…" she started. "What you said…"

Faith swallowed hard. "Yea?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes slightly. "I resent it."

Faith's stomach dropped. "B…"

"My head _is_ not as heavy as a boulder," Buffy pointedly complained, "and I'm certainly not as stubborn as you make me out to be." She grinned playfully and disappeared behind the bathroom door, closing it behind her with a solid click.

Faith's grin widened on her face. "Have sex with me!" she shouted from the bed.

Buffy's voice was muffled through the door as she brushed her teeth. "No!"

Faith laughed. "Stubborn!"

The bathroom door swung open. Buffy's reflection eyeballed the brunette. "Just not easy," she countered around her toothbrush.

Faith rolled out bed and busied herself with picking out an outfit for that day. As she did so, Buffy finished her toiletries and stepped back out of the bathroom.

Buffy smiled slyly at the brunette. "You have to try harder if you want to get in my pants, Faithy."

"If I didn't know better, B, I'd say that sounds like a challenge." Faith walked over to Buffy and grabbed onto her hips. "Give me a few minutes to get ready, and I'll get started on Mission Let's Get Laid right away." She winked down at the blonde and lightly squeezed her hips before heading over to the _en suite _bathroom. "It's gonna happen, B. I'm committed."

Buffy waited in the bedroom for Faith to finish getting ready. While she waited, she decided to make the bed. Faith walked out of the bedroom just as Buffy was putting the finishing touches on the comforter.

"You don't have to do that," Faith noted. "It's just gonna get slept in again."

Buffy fluffed a pillow and set it at the head of the bed. "I know. But that's not the point. It looks nice and pretty now."

Faith shrugged. "I thought it looked fine earlier." She walked to stand next to her sister-Slayer and they both examined the bed.

Before she could react, Buffy felt strong hands take hold of her hips. She suddenly found her feet lifted from the floor and then she was flying onto the bed. She landed on the mattress heavily, forcing the air out of her lungs.

Buffy looked up at the brunette girl. "What was that for?" she demanded disgruntled. She blew a few strands of hair out of her face that had fallen out of her ponytail.

"You shoulda seen the look on your face, B," Faith snickered. "Totally priceless."

"Oh yeah?" Buffy scissor-kicked and wrapped her legs around Faith's midsection. With a strong pull, she toppled Faith onto the mattress beside her.

Not letting Buffy completely have the upper hand, however, the brunette slayer managed to roll on top of the elder woman and pinned her beneath the weight of her body. Faith held Buffy's girl's wrists and trapped her arms at her sides.

"Gonna say Uncle?" Faith playfully challenged.

"This feels good," Buffy unexpectedly unannounced. 

Faith cleared her throat uncomfortably. "My body weight on you?" She hoped her voice didn't crack. 

"That... and the sheets are still warm from us sleeping on them," Buffy noted innocently.

"Smells good, too," Faith observed. She dipped her head slightly forward and nudged her nose against the side of Buffy's face.

"The sheets?" 

"That…and who's on them," Faith purred. 

Buffy laughed at the line. "You're determined to ruin that badass persona, aren't you?" She tried to push herself off the mattress or wiggle out from beneath the taller slayer. Faith, however, refused to budge. The two slayers stared at each other.

"What happened to the old Faith Lehane?" Buffy pressed.

Faith arched her back to lean back slightly. She lifted a quizzical eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Remember? Want—Take—Have?"

Faith's face visibly clouded over. "Yeah. I remember," she said thickly, releasing her grip on the blonde's wrists. "But that's not who I am anymore."

Buffy looked up at the younger woman and bit her bottom lip. "Sometimes I wish you would.…" She ran her fingers up the brunette's shoulders suggestively.

Faith felt a familiar tingling. "Fuck," she lowly groaned.

Buffy's hands made their way to the small of Faith's back. 

Faith cleared her throat again. "How about I start by cooking you breakfast?" she offered weakly.

"I'm hungry," Buffy murmured, "but I'm not sure that's what I had in mind." Her fingertips blazed trails just beneath the bottom hem of Faith's top.

Faith stood up quickly as though the blonde's touch had scalded her. Buffy remained on her back on the mattress and looked quizzically at the dark brunette.

Faith took a step away from the bedside as if needing to put physical distance between she and the other woman. She felt flushed and unsettled as she gazed down at the tempting blonde.

It would be so easy…No. She mentally shook her head. She couldn't keep doing this with Buffy. Despite how she might tease Buffy about sex, she really couldn't go through with it. Not with things so up in the air with Kate. Not with Kate stuck looking like Buffy. And certainly not with Buffy avoiding talking about everything that had happened the past month.

It was unhealthy and irresponsible and it wasn't who she was anymore.

She repeated the last line like a mantra to cull her willpower.

"Bacon and eggs sound good to ya?"

Buffy grinned playfully. "It's a good start at least. We might just consummate this relationship after all," she noted wistfully.

Faith laughed and nervously raked her fingers through her hair. "And you say you're not easy."

Buffy stuck her tongue out. "I'm not," she pouted.

"All it took was me mentioning bacon and eggs," Faith hazarded to tease. "If I would have known that, I'd have given you a pig and hen as soon as you arrived in England."

Angel walked into the kitchen and jumped. "Jesus." 

Buffy looked up mildly annoyed from her plate of scrambled eggs and slices of crisp bacon. "Has anyone ever told you that you scare easily?" 

Angel scowled and went to the fridge. "I'm only scared when I see you." 

Buffy rolled her eyes and shoveled another mouthful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. "Thanks." 

Angel opened the fridge and pulled out a plastic bag of pig's blood. "It's not like that," he noted, closing the door. "It's just that it takes me a moment to remember that you're not her." 

Buffy quirked an eyebrow at the undead man. "Even after all this time." 

The souled vampire shrugged and pulled a ceramic mug out of a cabinet. "Surprising huh? Where's Faith this morning?" he asked, making polite yet tense conversation.

Buffy shoved another heaping mouthful of eggs into her mouth to buy her some time. Faith was on the phone in the library with the care center, checking in on Kate. But Buffy certainly couldn't tell Angel that. _She_ was supposed to be Kate.

"She's here. Somewhere," Buffy mumbled lamely.

The two former lovers were silent, Angel heating up his blood and Buffy continuing to eat her breakfast and pretend to be Kate. 

Angel tossed the empty blood bag into the garbage can. "Well, I'll be on my way. I'm sorry I keep freaking out about this whole situation," he noted. "I don't mean to come off as a jerk."

Buffy eyeballed her former boyfriend, feeling suddenly guilty for continuing this charade. "It's not a problem," she managed to squeak out.

Angel hesitated, thinking over the words he wanted to say.

"I don't think I've ever told you this, maybe Faith has," he started, "but Buffy and I have some serious history. And with her avoiding me in the States, while I get to look at a perfect replica of her in my kitchen every morning…it's just hard."

Buffy dropped her eyes down to her plate and continued shoveling eggs into her mouth.

Angel regarded the woman who looked so much like the one he loved. "When'd you start eating eggs?" 

Buffy quirked an eyebrow at the undead man. "When did I stop?" 

Angel's features scrunched up. "You're kidding me right? Although we've only had few conversations, I specifically remember you saying you didn't like eating eggs." 

Buffy swallowed hard, worried her cover might be blown. "I-I was just joking before. But, uh, I started eating eggs again in San Francisco. I forgot how tasty they are," she weakly offered.

Angel frowned and set his ceramic cup on the kitchen counter. "Tell me the reason why you've always avoided eating eggs." 

"I…um..." 

Angel stared hard at the blonde woman. "You don't know do you?" he accused. 

"Of course I do," Buffy protested, annoyed by Angel's prodding. "It's just early." 

Angel stood a little taller and folded his arms across his broad chest. "All eggs have baby chicks in them and if you give them enough love, they'll hatch." 

Buffy blinked a few times. "What?" 

"That was the reason," the vampire expounded. "Eventually, you grew up and knew better, but you could never really bring yourself to eat them and risk your childhood belief being true. Eggs will always make you feel incredibly guilty." 

Buffy chewed on her lower lip, realizing she'd been caught. 

Angel inspected the blonde's face and the specks of green in her hazel-colored eyes. "Buffy?"

The name caught in his throat.

"Is that you?"

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: **

Faith knocked on the door to Buffy's borrowed bedroom – not that she'd actually been sleeping there – but she was currently using it to hide out. "B?" she called through the wooden door.

"I'm not here," she heard the blonde's reply.

Faith pushed open the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. She found Buffy on the bed, her face down in a pillow.

"You can't hide from him forever, you know," the brunette said, quietly closing the door behind her.

Buffy didn't look up. She remained on the bed with her face buried in the top pillow. "I can try," came the muffled reply.

"You need to talk to him." Faith sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's not healthy to keep all this shit bottled up."

Buffy finally looked up, her hair wild and disheveled from being mashed on the pillow top. "I think it would be even more unhealthy if we talked."

Faith couldn't help the smirk that seemed to naturally find its way to her lips. "How did he find out anyway?"

Buffy's eyes perceptibly narrowed. "It's your fault."

"How exactly?" Faith asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Your eggs and bacon scheme to get into my pants," Buffy noted glumly.

Faith shook her head, still not connecting the dots.

"Kate doesn't eat eggs," the Chosen One stated.

The revelation shocked the brunette. "She doesn't? Shit. And here I thought I was a good girlfriend."

The elder woman snorted. "Yeah. Besides that whole…you cheating on her with me," Buffy unnecessarily pointed out.

"Hey!" Faith exclaimed. "I thought you were _her_," she said defensively.

Buffy clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Yeah, for like a minute," she scoffed.

Faith scowled. "Whatever. Stop changing the subject," she protested. "You and Angel need to talk this thing out."

Buffy sighed and her entire body heaved. "I don't know what there is to talk about."

"You guys banged so much you created another _universe_," Faith pointed out, not unkindly. "I think you need to talk."

Buffy dropped her head back onto the pillow. "Fine," she conceded with a growl. "I guess it's about time I start tackling my 'To Do' list anyway," she noted somberly.

Faith looked suddenly uncomfortable. "This probably isn't the right moment to tell ya this, but Kate is awake and stable enough to have visitors."

"So you're leaving me," Buffy stated flatly.

Faith's eyes shifted in their sockets. "Uh, you can come along if you want?"

"No," Buffy sighed. "I can't keep avoiding Angel," she regretfully admitted. "You'll be back in a couple hours though, right?"

"That's the plan," the other slayer noted. "Unless the flower shop takes forever."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Flower shop?"

"Yeah," Faith nodded. "I'm gonna stop by one in town before I get there. Pick up some daisies."

"Daisies?"

"Kate told me once she thought daisies were the friendliest flower," the brunette stated absent-mindedly. She looked over at the alarm clock near Buffy's bedside. "Shit," she cursed, noticing how late in the day it had become. Visiting hours weren't going to be much longer by the time she did her errands and made it back to London. "I gotta get going. Call if you need me, okay?"

Faith leaned over and gave the blonde woman a quick peck on the lips. She hopped up from the bed and rushed out of the room without looking back.

Buffy stared in wonder after Faith through the open door, almost expecting the brunette to reappear and comment on the unannounced kissed. When she didn't, Buffy rolled off the bed to once again close herself in her room.

"So this is what I've become," Buffy grumbled to herself. "An afterthought while she races off to save the day with daisies."

The Chosen One flopped back down on her bed like a petulant teenager. She knew she was behaving childish, but she didn't care. Faith had rejected her advances earlier that morning. And now she kissed her like they were an old, married couple before rushing off to the bedside of her injured ex-girlfriend.

She had the strangest urge to run after Faith and fiercely kiss her until she was the _only_ blonde on Faith's radar. But she didn't know if that was just her naturally competitive nature pushing her into action or something else all together.

"What am I doing?" she called out to no one in particular.

She couldn't deny that she was attracted to the dark-haired woman. Anyone with _eyes_ could observe how devastatingly attractive the younger slayer was. And Buffy had two of those.

But beyond that, she didn't know what was going on between the two of them. Faith had admitted her feelings for the blonde – and Kate's choice of body shape was evidence of Faith's obvious attraction for her.

But did Buffy want a _relationship _with Faith? Did she want Faith to be her _girlfriend_? And if she did, what did that mean for her living situation? Would they stay in England? Would Faith give up Giles' multiple homes for a cramped apartment in San Francisco?

Buffy made a disgruntled noise. She didn't know what she was doing anymore or what to do next. The only thing she _did _know, however, was that she badly needed to shower.

Hefting herself off the bed once more, Buffy catatonically trudged over to her wardrobe. She opened the top drawer and there, lying on top of her bras and underwear, was the file folder she'd taken from Quentin Travers' basement of horrors. In all the excitement and confusion of the young day, she'd nearly forgotten she'd stashed it in her dresser drawer to examine later.

She hadn't exactly known what she was supposed to be looking for as she'd quickly riffled through the file cabinets in the basement laboratory. But her curiosity had gotten the best of her when she'd seen this particular file. Because why in the world would Travers be keeping a folder with _her name_ on it?

Buffy turned back to the double bed, showering momentarily forgotten. She lay on her stomach and flipped the aging file folder open, flat on the bed. A thick stack of meticulously typed pages glared back at her.

"Ugh, I hate reading," she groaned aloud.

The only people she knew who actually _liked _reading were Willow and Angel. And she was currently hiding from Angel, and Willow was thousands of miles away. She flipped through the top few pages, once again unsure of what she was looking for. Research had never been a strength of hers. _Strength _was her strength. She tried to understand what the pages and pages of type-written text indicated, but it was too technical, too scientific to make any sense to her.

She sighed once again. Another dead end for now. Buffy closed the folder to avoid bringing on an unnecessary migraine or inferiority complex. When she got back to San Francisco, she'd have to ask Willow to look over the details in the files to make sure there was nothing left they needed to worry about when it came to Quentin Travers and his plot to control the slayer line.

Buffy placed the folder back in the top drawer of her wardrobe.

"Should have let him fry," she murmured in a melancholy way.

Buffy stepped into the steaming hot shower and audibly sighed when the scalding water hit her bare skin. The plumbing and fixtures in Giles' country home were out-of-date, but thankfully that didn't affect the water temperature. The farmhouse seemed to have an unlimited supply of hot water.

Buffy closed her eyes and let the warm water fall over her face. The past few weeks, minus a few speed bumps, had felt like a vacation. Faith had been nothing but attentive to her needs, jumping through hoops to make her feel comfortable in a foreign place. She'd even reluctantly gone along with Buffy's decision to hide her identity from Angel. It had been confusing to see that side of Faith – someone so caring and thoughtful – and that more than anything else, currently played on her mind.

She could accept that she was physically attracted to Faith. But this England trip had made her realize that she didn't really _know _Faith. She wasn't the girl who'd shown up in Sunnydale so many years ago. She wasn't the girl who'd switched bodies with her. She wasn't even the girl who'd broken out of prison to help Angel get his soul back and who'd been at Buffy's side in their defeat of The First.

So much time had passed between each chapter of re-introduction into each other's lives. It was as though Faith was multiple people sharing the same body inside of Buffy's memories. And oh what a body it was. Chiseled collarbone. Flat stomach. Thin, but defined arms. That little swimmer's V that poked out the top of low-riding yoga pants.

Buffy caught herself when her hands had gone from innocently soaping up her body to something more intimate.

She turned the hot water dial to lower the temperature of the water. If she wanted to get images of Faith's body out of her head and make it through this shower, she was going to need a very cold shower.

The blonde slayer padded down the wooden staircase toward the ground floor. Freshly showered, her hair still slightly damp, she realized her interrupted breakfast of eggs and bacon wasn't going to be enough to satisfy her hunger that early afternoon.

She bounced into the kitchen with a slight spring in her step. She was feeling much better after her long shower. She stopped in the threshold, however, when she recognized Angel's lumbering form standing in the center of the room.

A small smirk spread across Angel's lips. "I knew it was just a matter of time before you got hungry and came down again," he said smugly.

Buffy groaned, but stood her ground. "Foiled again by my appetite."

"Why did you hide your identity from me?" Angel countered, pulling no punches now that the blonde slayer was standing in front of him. He wasn't going to waste anymore time or let Buffy run away again. "Why pretend to be Kate?"

Buffy ducked her head and couldn't bring herself to look at Angel. "Because it was easier," she regretfully mumbled. "Everything happened so fast. I was determined for such a long time to defeat Twilight, and then when he turned out to be _you_, I guess I was so relieved that…"

"…that you had sex in space with me?" Angel finished for her.

Buffy blushed. "Something like that."

"So you were just embarrassed about the sex?" the unaging vampire questioned. "That's why you pretended to be Kate."

Buffy nodded. "That. And Giles."

Angel swallowed hard, and Buffy could see the muscles in his jaw working.

"Listen, Angel. I _know_ that it wasn't you who killed him," Buffy started with emotion. "I know that it was Twilight possessing you. I couldn't blame you for Giles' death anymore than I could blame you for the things Angelus did when I was in high school."

Angel's dark eyes flashed. "But…" He knew there had to be a "but."

Buffy sighed. "But…I also can't look at you without seeing Giles. I can't be around you right now." She took a brave step forward and took Angel's hands into her own. Her voice dropped to a low whisper. "I can't touch you without remembering that it was _these hands_ that killed Giles."

Both Angel and Buffy were silent as they stared at the smaller blonde's hands engulfed by the souled vampire's larger hands.

A strange look fluttered over Angel's face and he pulled away. "You…you _kissed _Faith to avoid me. And I'm pretty sure there was some groping going on, too."

Buffy made an uncomfortable noise in the back of her throat. "I, uh, it's…complicated. Angel –"

"Kiss _me_," the ageless man interrupted.

Buffy took an unconscious step backwards. "What?"

"Kiss me, Buffy," Angel repeated. "If you can kiss me and tell me you feel nothing for me, then I'll be able to move on."

"Angel, no." Buffy shook her head. "I honestly don't think anything will come from that other than the confirmation that this just won't work between us."

"Buffy, we have something special," Angel urged. "There's an undeniable bond that always leads us back to each other."

"I know. It's called love," Buffy agreed.

"Yes, exactly."

"No…I didn't mean it like that," the blonde self-corrected with a grimace. "What I mean is that it's the same kind of love that brings me back to Dawn, Willow, Xander, and anyone else I care about."

A shadow seemed to cross over Angel's chiseled features. "So us making love to the point of creating another _universe_ doesn't amount to anything to you?" he demanded. "You don't feel like some greater power out there has it written down that we're meant to be?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "Do you want the truth?"

"Always."

The blonde swallowed hard. "If you would have asked a very young and naïve me years ago if that thought would make me swoon, I would have said yes," she started slowly and honestly. "But I'm not that girl anymore, Angel. And I haven't felt what she felt in a very long time. So I have to say…" Buffy took another deep breath. "…I don't want us to be etched in stone."

Ignoring the blonde's bold speech, Angel made a bold move of his own. He captured the smaller woman around her waist and tilted his head down for a searing, crushing kiss. Buffy stiffened and made a noise against the vampire's moving mouth.

When he finally realized that the smaller woman wasn't kissing him back, Angel pulled away, but continued to hold onto the small-bodied woman.

"I still want to move on," Buffy murmured after an awkward beat.

Angel dropped his head. "I'm just out of practice," he mumbled lamely.

A small smile crept onto Buffy's face. "Nice try."

The souled vampire released his hold on Buffy – literally and symbolically.

"So now what?" he sighed. He raked his fingers through his tousled hair.

Buffy shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

The blonde slayer walked out of the kitchen, her hunger forgotten. She was surprised when she felt a hand tighten around her elbow as she was spun into an adjacent room.

"What are you doing kissing him?" a voice hissed in her ear.

"Kate?" It took Buffy a millisecond to register that she was looking at the frozen shape-shifter and not looking into a mirror. "What are you doing here?"

The shifter looked down at her body. She was propped up with the aid of two crutches and her ribcage was bandaged beneath her loose-fitting v-neck. "I'm healing."

"Shouldn't you be healing at a _hospital_?" Buffy observed. "When we left you, you looked like a tenderized piece of meat."

"Don't make a thing out of it," Kate waved her hand. "More importantly, why were you just kissing Angel?"

"I wasn't!" Buffy sputtered. "…You…he…"

Kate abruptly released her hold on Buffy's arm as though jolted by an electric current. "Holy shit."

"What?" Buffy demanded crossly.

Buffy visage blinked back at her. "You're actually in love with her," Kate said in wonder.

Buffy's hazel-green eyes widened. "What? With who?"

"With Faith, duh," the shape-shifter drawled, rolling her eyes. "I _saw _it."

If possible, Buffy's eyes widened even more in a momentary panic. "What did you see?" she hissed. "You can hardly walk!"

"Not with my _eyes,_ Buffy," Kate scoffed. "With my _mind_. My, uh…special ability, remember?"

"I thought you lost your magic."

"I've apparently lost my ability to shift," Kate said sourly. "But not my gift to see what it is that you want."

"What I want? I don't _know _what I want!" Buffy proclaimed.

"Your subconscious seems to know," Kate noted. "And it's in the shape of one very shapely brunette slayer.

The Chosen One emphatically shook her head. "Your magic is broken."

"I'm never wrong about this stuff," the shape-shifter stubbornly protested. "I make my livelihood with my gift."

Kate looked back in the direction of the kitchen where she'd observed Angel kiss the blonde slayer. She hadn't meant to pry. She'd just walked in unannounced and witnessed the vampire's dramatic embrace.

"Buffy…. " It was Kate's voice that said her name, but her own visage stared hard at her. "Don't lead Faith on if you can't leave your past behind."

The front door opened and Faith struggled over the threshold holding multiple shopping bags from department stores and a pharmacy. When she saw the slayer and shifter standing next to each other, a guilty look crossed her face. She dropped the bags on the ground.

"Um. So…."

Luckily she had paid attention to what Kate was wearing otherwise she'd have no idea who was who – besides the obvious crutches and the still discolored bruising on Kate's face. "I guess you've heard the news."

Buffy gave the brunette slayer a stony look and slowly folded her arms across her chest. "That Kate is now staying with us?"

"Well, I just figured that since Angel knows you're _you_," Faith apologetically reasoned, "and Kate needs a place where she can get better and the care center provides only temporary…"

Buffy held up her hands to stop Faith before she boarded the babble train. "It's okay. It's not my house anyway, so I don't know why you're so concerned about what I think."

Faith's dark eyes dropped to the floor. "I'm just gonna bring these bags up and get a room ready for Kate," she murmured. She looked back up at Kate. "I'll be right back to help you up the stairs."

"I'm not an invalid, Faith," Kate chided. "They wouldn't have released me to your care if I were in dire condition."

"Well I don't know," Faith scowled. "You don't have slayer strength and stuff."

Kate raised a Buffy eyebrow. "Stuff?" 

"Lay off," Faith frowned. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Kate nodded her thanks and watched the Boston slayer haul her things up the staircase to the second floor.

"So you guys went shopping?" Buffy questioned icily.

Kate turned her gaze away from Faith's retreating form to confront the other slayer. "Don't start that jealousy bit with me, Buffy."

The blonde slayer snorted. "As if."

"Hey," the shifter admonished, "it's not my fault I needed new clothes. You and I don't normally wear the same size."

"So I should blame Quentin Travers then that you're stuck wearing my face and my body?" Buffy demanded, miffed by the shape-shifter's attitude.

"Him. Or your friend Willow." Kate made a face as though the name left a bitter taste in her mouth. "By the way, Buffy…you might want to call your friend and find out what she's been up to."

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Territorial **

Buffy paused in front of the full-length mirror in Faith's bedroom. She leaned in and turned her face to the side and peered at the early suggestion of crowsfeet at the corners of her eyes.

"Goddamn it. This isn't supposed to happen," she grumbled to herself. She pulled at her temples and made her skin taunt. "I wasn't supposed to live long enough to get wrinkles."

With Kate's return to the mansion, Buffy hadn't seen much of her sister-Slayer or Angel. Angel was mostly ignoring her because of his failed attempt to woo her, and Buffy was admittedly relieved that he was making himself scarce. She knew they'd one day get back to an easy friendship – if they'd even been friends in the first place – but for now, things were too tense, too raw, too soon to expect anything other than their current situation.

Faith, on the other hand, had spent all afternoon and evening with Kate in a bedroom she'd set up for the frozen shape-shifter. Buffy had dropped by the room just once – out of curiosity, she told herself – to find Kate tucked into bed and Faith seated in an easy chair positioned nearby. The hour had grown late, and yet Faith had still not emerged from Kate's bedroom.

Although Buffy didn't know where that left her in relation to the brunette slayer, she wasn't stubborn enough to spend the night in her own bedroom. Faith had a much more comfortable mattress and she'd gotten used to the cozy bedroom.

Buffy unzipped her thin hoodie and inspected her torso with the help of the full-length mirror. She lifted her tank top and ran her hand down her smooth abdomen. Her narrow hipbones peaked out from the top of her pajama pants. She'd lost her baby fat from high school, but it only managed to make her body look more boyish. She envied Faith's feminine curves, but wasn't going to complain too much about her own figure.

She turned to inspect her silhouette. She stuck out her backside slightly and brought her hands up to cup her modest, but still perky breasts. "What's Faith's hold up?" she mumbled. "I'd do me."

She frowned when she realized her problem. With Kate stuck in her body, Buffy was literally competing against her mirror image. And Kate didn't come with the added baggage of Buffy and Faith's tumultuous past.

Buffy pulled her tank top back down and retreated toward the solace of Faith's bed. She slid beneath the covers and stared up at the ceiling. She wasn't tired – only increasingly agitated the more time passed and Faith didn't return to her bedroom.

Something told her that sleep wasn't going to come easy that night.

Kate made a face at the woman trying to make herself comfortable in the adjacent easy chair. "This is unnecessary, Faith," she practically whined.

Faith punched at a lopsided pillow. "Stop it," she chided the bed-ridden woman. "How else can I be sure you won't die in your sleep?" she pointed out.

Kate shook her head as though coddling a stubborn child. "Hun, I've told you before – I'm just a little bruised up. That hospital wouldn't have released me otherwise."

"I just want to be sure you're safe," Faith grunted.

"I know," Kate sighed. She trained her Buffy-hazel-green eyes on her former girlfriend. "And it's very sweet of you," she noted. "But you've done enough just by letting me stay here."

"I would have let you stay at the London flat, but I wouldn't feel comfortable letting you stay in the city on your own," Faith noted.

Kate smirked. "But I don't need you to be my nurse. Unless there's going to be a tiny white uniform involved," she corrected herself. She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Then I might not object at all."

Faith cleared her throat uncomfortably at the suggestion and went back to fluffing pillows and avoiding Kate's pointed stare.

Kate frowned watching the brunette ignore her. Her Faith wouldn't have acted like that. Her Faith would have easily bantered back. Her frown deepened, causing lines to form on her face. But Faith wasn't _hers _anymore she was forcing herself to realize – and she'd never really been hers to begin with.

"Why don't you sleep in your own room?" Kate suggested not unkindly. "It'll be a lot more comfortable."

Faith cocked an eyebrow at her former lover. "Are you kicking me out?"

"It's your house, Fai. I don't have that kind of authority." Kate said spreading her hands out on the comforter in a sign of peace. "But you really don't need to worry about me. I'm just going to sleep, and the thought of you watching over me is kind of creepy to be honest."

The brunette's features scrunched together. "Oh…okay." She stood from the lumpy chair and made her way to the door. "Well, I'll uh, I'll just be in the next room." Faith hesitated at the door. "If you need anything..."

Kate nodded and smiled at the timid-looking slayer. It was very uncharacteristic for the brunette to look so nervous and uncomfortable. It was like Faith didn't know how to act around her anymore. It was painful to see. "I promise I'll give you a holler if I'm dying," she promised wistfully.

Faith frowned. "Not funny."

The blonde shape-shifter smirked. "Get out of here already," she chuckled, giving Faith a shooing motion with her hands. "I'm exhausted. And if I'm gonna be stuck with this face forever," she stated matter-of-factly, "I'm gonna need my beauty sleep."

The comment pulled a short laugh from Faith. "I won't tell Buffy you said that about her face," she grinned mischievously. "You're bruised enough already."

Faith silently opened her bedroom door and couldn't help her grin when she recognized the Buffy-shaped lump in her bed. She wasn't sure what to expect upon entering her bedroom. She hadn't hidden the fact that she was visiting with Kate, but she wouldn't sure how Buffy would react. Finding the blonde slayer sleeping in her bed had to be a good sign though, she reasoned.

Hearing the door open and close and the following of soft footsteps on the hardwood floor forced Buffy to shut her eyes closed. She tried to control her breathing to give the appearance that she'd been sleeping rather than the silent fuming that had occupied her night.

The mattress sank beside her as Faith slid beneath the covers and arranged herself in a comfortable position. Buffy could immediately feel the impact of the brunette's body head on her own skin temperature.

Faith slid close and hazarded a chaste kiss near Buffy's temple. "Missed ya," she whispered almost inaudibly.

Buffy rolled over, her eyes open and staring at the Boston-native.

Faith nearly jumped in bed. "Shit, B," she exclaimed. "You gotta warn me when you're actually awake. You're gonna give me a heart attack, woman."

Buffy's expression was unreadable in the dark. "You've been doing that a lot today," she stated evenly.

"What?" Faith questioned. "Having heart attacks?"

"No," Buffy clarified. "Kissing me like I'm your grandma."

"I have not," Faith denied. The very thought horrified her.

"Have, too," Buffy childishly countered.

Faith scoffed. "Whatever."

Buffy propped herself up on one elbow. "How's Kate?" Her voice retained its even, unreadable edge. The question was free of jealousy or insinuation, but also absent of sincere concern.

Faith sucked on her teeth. Out of the pot and into the fire. "She says she's fine," she started. "She just kicked me out of her room, in fact, so she could get some sleep."

"Do you think her being here is really the best thing for her? Wouldn't she be better off recovering in a hospital or someplace with trained staff?" Buffy pointed out.

Faith snorted and crossed her arms across her chest, closing herself off from the inquisitive blonde. It hurt that Buffy questioned her reasoning with this decision. "Do you really care?"

"Of course I do!" Buffy huffed, annoyed that Faith would think otherwise. "She's wearing my face. I feel invested in her welfare." She paused and wet her lips. "Mostly."

Faith shook her head. "I feel better knowing she's safe here with me."

Buffy grunted but didn't say another word.

"Tomorrow I'm gonna see about helping her get her abilities back," Faith thought out loud. "I'm not sure even where to start, but there's got to be a way."

Buffy worried her bottom lip. "Will you let me help?"

"Seriously?" Faith turned her head to appraise the elder slayer.

The blonde considered her sister-slayer's surprise. She couldn't blame Faith for being suspicious of her eagerness to aid the shape-shifter. But she had her reasons for wanting to help Faith's ex-girlfriend – the simple fact that Kate was wearing her face and body was reason enough. She'd never warmed to the Buffy-bot, and she'd hated when Willow had insisted they send out slayers around the globe (and even in another dimension) to impersonate her when Twilight had been hot on their heels. Buffy was highly protective of her image. So why would Kate's situation be very different?

Besides, she internally mused, the sooner Kate could go back to her regular body, the sooner Faith would stop feeling guilty about her and could pay attention to Buffy again.

Buffy nodded. "I'd like to help if you'll both let me. Two heads are better than one, right?"

"Unless those heads are attached to a demon," Faith snickered.

The Chosen One smiled. "Good point."

Faith covered her mouth and yawned. "Yeah, you can help," she noted sleepily. "But I'm gonna get to sleep now though. We can talk more about it in the morning."

Buffy blinked, taken aback by the other woman's eagerness for sleep when all she'd done since her arrival in England was press Buffy to open up and talk. "Oh. Ok. Good night."

Faith pulled the sheets up to her chest and rolled on her side, giving Buffy a view of her back. "Good night, B."

Buffy stared at the back of Faith's head for a moment. When it was clear that Faith was seriously about sleeping, she pushed out a frustrated breath and rolled on her back. She glared up at the ceiling and breathed out deeply. She was starting to hate that ceiling, her constant companion. Her body felt restless and she took another calming breath.

Ever since Quentin Travers had sent them pictures of Kate kidnapped, Buffy had felt Faith pull away. Their budding friendship, or whatever it was, had become increasingly strained since their interrupted candle-lit macaroni and cheese date many nights ago. Once Kate was "cured" – once they'd found a way to reverse whatever Travers had done to her – things could go back to the way they'd been.

But Buffy was tired of waiting. She'd never been good at this patience thing. And what if they _never_ found a way to help Kate, and she turned into a perpetual third-wheel? Buffy made a horrified face at the thought.

Until Kate had re-entered their lives and pulled Faith's focus from Buffy, she hadn't realized how much she craved being the center of Faith's attention. The brunette's attention was like a drug.

Buffy had to do something. She needed her fix.

"Faith?"

The Boston slayer grunted, but didn't roll over.

Buffy slid closer to Faith's back and stared at the curved body beside her. Faith wore a dark tank top, revealing plenty of defined shoulder blade. She wet her lips and ran her fingertips down the brunette's spine. Her fingers tripped over the ribbing of the top. Faith's body tensed initially at the touch, but then visibly relaxed.

Encouraged that Faith hadn't slapped her hand or pulled away, Buffy slid her arm around the Boston woman's waist. She pulled herself tight against the taller woman's back as though spooning her. Buffy leaned her head closer to the brunette's head and inhaled the scent of clean hair.

"Uh, B?" Faith's body shifted on the mattress. "What are you doing?"

Buffy pressed her mouth against the younger woman's naked shoulder blade. "What does it feel like I'm doing?" she murmured into the curved blade.

Faith cleared her throat. "I'm guessing you're kissing me." Her voice sounded higher and tighter than its usual raspy bur.

"You're very perceptive," Buffy whispered. She continued to place delicate kisses along all the exposed skin she could find. She brushed Faith's loose curls out of the way to gain access to the younger woman's slender neck. She placed open-mouthed kisses on the sensitive skin and smiled when she felt the other woman subtly press backwards into her as if seeking more contact.

"Kate's just in the next room," Faith reminded the other slayer in a low, shaky voice. Her body felt taunt and rigid. "And Angel's room is right above us."

Buffy bit her lower lip. "You can be quiet, can't you?"

Faith's jaw went lax.

"I…I…"

Even though she knew Faith was hesitating, Buffy wouldn't be denied this time. She felt like a feral animal needing to mark her territory. She knew this sudden emotion had been pushed by Kate's return, but she'd think about that later. Right now she had other things to worry about. Like getting Faith to cum.

Beneath the covers, Buffy grabbed onto Faith's hips and abruptly rolled her onto her back. She slid closer until her body was completely on top of the brunette. Faith made an inarticulate noise when the smaller slayer's body lay full-length atop her own.

Buffy slid her hand under the elastic waistband of Faith's pajama bottoms and made a small noise when she realized the younger slayer wore no underwear. Her fingers immediately came into contact with hot, smooth flesh.

"Not wasting any time, are ya?" Faith managed to pant as Buffy rubbed her clit in small, clockwise circles. She spread her legs further apart.

Buffy smirked, feeling Faith's thighs parting for her. She ran a single digit down the length of Faith's sex, feeling the wetness already building. "I didn't take you for a foreplay kind of girl," she nipped into the other woman's ear.

Buffy admittedly didn't really know what she was doing. She'd only had sex with one other woman – Satsu – and with the Asian slayer she'd hardly had the nerve to intimately touch. It had been more like a one-way road of which she was only too happy to be the beneficiary. Despite her inexperience, however, this was something Buffy was determined to do.

"Foreplay is nice," Faith rasped. Buffy dipped her finger into the brunette's sex.

"Oh, God," Faith revered as the blonde bottomed out. "But this is good, too," she rushed out in a single breath.

"Just _good_?" Buffy taunted. She slowly withdrew her single digit, dragging Faith's arousal with her.

"F-f-f-ucking fantastic," Faith choked out when Buffy replaced her single finger with two.

Faith played with Buffy's hair, rolling the soft strands between her fingers and fingering the ends. Buffy lay with her head on the brunette's chest plate. She listened to the steady throbbing of the Bostonian's heart.

"Did Kate saying anything to you about Willow?" Buffy blurted out.

"That's an interesting change of subject," Faith commented with a light laugh.

Buffy looked up at the brunette. "It's a serious question. Did she say anything to you about Willow?"

Faith's features crunched in thought. "Recently? Not that I can remembered. But then again I'm not always a good listener."

Buffy playfully jabbed the younger woman's ribs. "Well at least you're self-aware."

Faith captured the smaller woman's arms and squeezed her into a hug, not letting Buffy's dangerous elbows cause any more damage. Plus, hugging was nice, too. "What's up with Willow?"

Buffy sighed and let the brunette woman hold her. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "It's just something Kate said to me this afternoon. She made it sound like Willow had something to do with her powers being taken away."

"Call Red then," Faith proposed as though it were the most obvious solution. "Ask her."

"Right now?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Buffy pouted. "I wasn't ready to go back to slayer-mode so quickly," she revealed, sticking her bottom lip out. "I thought we could do more of _this_," she said, motioning between their two naked bodies, "before getting back to the real world."

Faith chuckled lowly and affectionately kissed the top of Buffy's head. "How about you call Willow and _then _we can go back to what we were doing before?" she pragmatically suggested.

Buffy flipped onto her stomach and beamed at the brunette. It felt like her first genuine smile in a long time. "I like your thinking, Lehane."

Without moving from her position in bed, Faith stretched and reached her cell phone. She dialed a few international codes and handed the phone to the blonde snuggled into her side. The dial tone rang a few times before a clicking noise echoed in Buffy's ear.

"Hello?" came a familiar voice.

"Willow?" The name tumbled out of Buffy's mouth like a smile.

"Buffy?" the voice returned with equal affection.

Just hearing her long-time friend's voice put Buffy at ease. Willow couldn't possible be to blame for what happened to Kate, could she? The shape-shifter must be mistaken. Buffy tried hard to not remember the handful of times her friend had tried to kill her or end the world.

"Will." Buffy suddenly dropped her voice to a chiding tone like a mother scolding a truant child. "Do you have something to tell me?"

There was silence across the line. "Uh…I'm not sure what you mean."

"Quentin Travers." Buffy spat out the name.

"Are we playing a word association game?" Willow cracked.

Buffy ignored her friend's joke. "He's still alive."

"What? How?" The redhead sounded genuinely surprised and it put Buffy at ease.

"He's a cockroach," Buffy grumbled bitterly. "He'd outlast a nuclear holocaust."

"But Giles said –,"

Buffy cut off her friend. "Giles was keeping secrets. And I have to know, Wills," she pressed, "…are you, too?"

"Buffy…there's," Willow hesitated. "…yes."

The blonde's heart constricted in her chest.

No.

It couldn't be true.

Faith gave her bedmate a concerned look when she recognized the strained features on Buffy's face and how her body had stiffened beside her. "What's…." she whispered.

Buffy flashed the brunette a warning look and pressed her finger against her lips before she could get out her question. 

"Willow, what's going on?" Buffy asked sternly. She clutched the phone tighter.

The redhead sighed. "I've…I've been dabbling in magic."

"What?" Buffy sat up in bed. "H-how? How is that even possible?"

Willow hesitated telling her friend the full truth. She knew she could never fully justify to Buffy how she'd secretly been hording Kennedy's spilt blood to cast spells. She couldn't even really say the words to herself.

"I found a loophole to the no-magic thing," she revealed carefully. "But it's only been small spells," she promised. "I can't do anything big like open portals or fly or have my Will Be Done."

"This loophole didn't have anything to do with sucking the powers from a shape-shifter who sometimes looks like me, did it?" Buffy held her breath waiting for the answer.

"Huh? You mean Faith's girlfriend?"

Buffy winced at the g-word. "Kate," she said evenly. "Her name is Kate." She didn't feel the need to embellish and inform her best friend that Kate and Faith had broken up and that she was currently naked in bed with the latter. That was too much information for one phone call.

Buffy made a decision. She needed to see her friend. "Willow, how fast can you get to England?"

"Without a broom?" the redhead teased. She quickly sobered when she didn't hear her friend return the laugh. "I could book a flight for a couple days from now, but it'll be really expensive on so short notice."

"Don't worry about money," Buffy breezed. "Faith will pay for it."

The brunette's eyebrows immediately rose on her forehead, but Buffy rolled her eyes at the surprised look.

"Just make the arrangements and email Faith the flight information, okay?" Buffy stiffly instructed. "We'll pick you up from the airport."

"Ok," Willow agreed. "I'll see you guys soon, I guess."

"Yup."

"Buffy? I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the magic stuff."

"It's okay, Wills," Buffy sighed. She rubbed at her temples and hazarded a glance at the beautiful and naked woman lying beside her. "There's some things I need to tell you when you get here, too."

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"Please return your seats to the upright position and prepare for landing," came a cool, feminine voice over the intercom system.

Willow looked out the small, airplane window. The scenery below overlooked the London afternoon. There wasn't much to see as the day was foggy and gloomy, but Willow still looked out the window, suddenly wistful and missing the ability to see the earth from this birds-eye view.

She'd only been able to fly for a relatively short period of time compared to how long she'd been practicing magic. But despite the brevity of that ability, she missed the freedom and convenience. It had taken her just a few days to pin down an international flight from San Francisco, California to London, England that hadn't left her sleeping in airplane terminals overnight on extended layovers.

She worried her bottom lip as the airplane began its decent and her ears popped from the changing air pressure. As excited as she was to see her best friend, she was also ridiculously nervous. Since Buffy had been away, she'd been covertly dabbling in magicks. That in itself wouldn't have been so bad, but the fact that _slayer blood_ was at the center of her experiments certainly wouldn't bode well with the Chosen One. How could she bridge the topic in the first place? It wasn't exactly conversation one brought up over dinner. But she knew she had to tell Buffy about it – it was the right thing to do.

Willow took a few deep, calming breaths as she unfastened her seatbelt and retrieved her carry-on from the overhead compartment. She needed to get control of her emotions. The last time she'd been this anxious getting off a plane had been her return to Sunnydale after a summer-long retreat to England as part of her magic rehab. Then, she'd worried herself invisible waiting for the plane to empty and had been skinned and nearly eaten alive by a Gnarl demon. She grit her teeth at the memories – ironic karma for what she'd done to Warren Mears.

Willow and the rest of the passengers waited in that awkward airplane limbo – the time between landing and waiting for the cabin doors to open and the plane to empty. She closed her eyes and continued to practice the centered breathing she'd learned from the English coven.

"Excited to be on the ground again?" a balding man in the aisle next to her observed. He was clearly local with his heavy English accent. His pale flesh looked swollen and puffy beneath his ill-fitted sports jacket. "You'd think we'd have invented something better than the airplane by now."

Willow tried to smile politely at the amicable man, but it felt more like a grimace. Thankfully the passengers waiting in the center aisle began to mill toward the front of the plane, and she was able to avoid making small talk with the stranger.

The former Wicca shouldered her carry-on bag and followed the illuminated signs to the appropriate baggage claim where Buffy had said she'd meet her. She stood on the down escalator and the baggage area swept into view. Willow immediately recognized a familiar blonde and brunette standing near the baggage carrousel. Buffy had her back to the escalators and her arms were waving as if talking animatedly. Even from this distance, Willow could tell that Faith was amused by whatever Buffy was talking about.

It forced the redhead to take pause as she appraised the Boston-native. Even Willow had to admit that she'd never witnessed a transformation like the one Faith had gone through since her original arrival into their lives more than a decade ago. She was aware that she'd been unfairly and hypocritically unforgiving when it came to the dark slayer's equally dark past.

As she took in the sight of the Boston slayer, she was amazed to see that the grey cloud that usually hovered around her aura – like a dirt cloud around Pigpen – was glaringly absent. England looked good on Faith. Even around Buffy, who normally brought out the worst in her, she looked uncommonly at ease in that moment.

Almost as if sensing Willow's nonjudgmental gaze on her, Faith's eyes flicked away from Buffy and scanned through the crowd of travelers until they settled onto Willow's face. The smirk on her face widened into a grin and she nudged Buffy. The smaller slayer whirled around. She took appeared genuinely happy to see her friend. Willow waved at the two women and felt a rush of relief when Buffy waved excitedly back. At least she hadn't worried herself invisible this time.

Upon opening the front door to the immaculate countryside estate, the three ladies were greeted with the welcoming scent of freshly baked goods. It had been awhile since any of the women had eaten, and the warmth of the smell flooding from the kitchen caused each of their stomachs to grumble as an angry reminder.

"I wasn't expecting this." Faith closed her eyes to enjoy the comfort of the smell for a second longer. "B, why don't you take Willow to the kitchen? I'll take care of this," she said, motioning to the redhead's luggage.

"No," the Wiccan protested. "I'll help you with my bags. Anyway, I would enjoy seeing where my room is before I rummage through your refrigerator. It's only polite." Faith could merely smile and give the Wiccan an acknowledging nod of agreement. Just maybe, they too could start over on a new page.

"Okay, let's get moving," Buffy ordered, impatient with the other women's dallying. "My stomach is eating itself." She swiftly pushed past both of her companions with two bags in hand and started up the stairs to the second floor.

After a quick tour of the second floor and Willow's new room, the three girls promptly made their way to the kitchen. There were trays of cookies sprawled throughout, covering every available counter surface; it was as if Martha Stewart had placed her domestic throne within the walls of Faith's estate.

"Holy hell, Kate… you really kept yourself busy today." Faith poked at a piece of square fudge. A childish smile played its way onto her lips as she thought about how much she was going to enjoy consuming everything. When her eyes finally made their way up from the treats to look at the person behind it all, Kate gave her a smile and nodded her head towards a counter that was out of Faith's view.

"_Your _lemon squares are over there."

"Sweet." The uncharacteristically gleeful brunette made her way to the counter and plopped next to the tray of her favorite treats. "Oh!" she said with a mouth full of food. "Willow, uh, you remember Kate, right?"

When the Wiccan didn't immediately respond, Buffy glanced over at her friend to see what was keeping her tongue-tied. The redhead stared unblinking at Kate in her impractical baking ensemble. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a messy bun and flour streaks on her bronzed cheekbones highlighted how hard she'd been working in the kitchen. Beneath her batter-splattered cotton apron she wore a lavender lace bra paired with the shortest shorts Willow had ever seen. Even though Kate was on the short end of the spectrum in Buffy's body, the tiny booty shorts gave the illusion that her slender, femininely muscled legs went on for miles. It took a sharp nudge from Buffy for the witch to snap back into the consciousness.

"Those are _my _goods, Willow," Buffy murmured to her friend in complaint. A light blush crept its way onto both of their faces.

"Sorry. Sorry." The shy Wiccan stared down at the ground to compose herself. "Hello, Kate." When she looked up, she was greeted with a little wave from the English version of her best friend.

"It's nice to see you again," said the petite baker before making her way over to Faith. "I'm sorry for the circumstance though." She had to take away the tray of lemon squares before the entire thing was devoured. Without her tray of food, the brunette sulked her way back to where her old friends stood.

"Explain why she looks like that and you're okay with it?" the quiet whisper was exchanged between the redhead and her friend.

"She said she didn't want to get batter on her shirt," Buffy deadpanned.

"Not _that_," Willow hissed beneath her breath.

"I never said I was okay with it," Buffy retorted.

"She's still standing. And she doesn't have a broken nose or a black eye," the former witch pointed out.

Buffy shrugged. "Wouldn't it be weirder if I beat up someone who looks just like me?"

Faith snorted, unable to stop herself from eavesdropping. "We both kind of did. Vampires taking over a church? Ringing any bells?"

"Oh. Right."

Buffy flashed Faith a quick smile. She let her gaze linger on the other slayer's face. They hadn't talked about…what had happened between them a few nights ago, and there hadn't been a repeat performance. But at least neither of them had stormed out of the room afterward in dramatic fashion. Instead, they seemed content to just let it be.

"Where's Angel?" Willow asked. She looked around as if expecting the vampire to pop out and surprise her.

Faith looked suddenly uncomfortable for the first time since Willow's arrival. "Uh…Angel's staying in London right now."

Buffy looked at her sister-Slayer. "He is?" The news surprised her. She hadn't seen Angel since he'd kissed her, but she hadn't thought anything of it. He had a history of sulking and pouting out-of-sight.

Faith nodded. "He said something about with you and Kate here, plus Willow coming to visit, it was too fucked up of a living situation even for him."

Willow grimaced. "Is it totally terrible that I'm kind of happy he's not here?"

Buffy smiled reassuringly at her long-time friend. "It's okay, Will. It's been a really weird time for all of us." Once again the small blonde's stomach turned; it was a good reminder that she needed to eat. Looking quickly over her options, she opted for two large sugar cookies. Shoving one into her mouth, the blonde took a large bite and handed over the other cookie to Willow.

"Oh! I've got something for you!" Buffy blurted out. Before rushing up the stairs, she silently cursed herself for taking another delicious cookie from the tray of goods. Her waistline was not going to thank her for the extra calories.

"Do you know what she's talking about?" The Wiccan gave her brunette companion a curious look as she finished off her cookie and grabbed for a fudge brownie.

"I don't know what she's talking about half of the time," Faith shrugged. "But, smiling and nodding seems to get me by." She couldn't resist the tray of brownies either and decided to follow the lead of the Wiccan. They continued to talk with their mouths full of food.

"You've learnt a seriously important skill." The veteran witch swallowed a large mouthful of the brownie that too quickly disappeared with each bite. "Side note, Kate can bake for me any day."

The raven-haired girl was already on her second brownie treat. "What skill would that be?" She quickly glanced over at Kate to see if she was still occupied with baking; to her excitement, Kate continued on her baking expedition. The small blonde was bent over the slightly opened oven door to check on her next batch of goods and it was hard for the brunette to resist the sight. "And, if you think her baking is good," she murmured as she continued to stare at the exposed heart-shaped backside, "wait until she cooks."

There was no response from the witch and for the briefest of moments Faith had thought that the girl may have choked from eating so fast. Looking over, to her amusement, she found that _neither _of them could resist the sight of the scantily clad baker.

Faith lightly shoved at the girl next to her. "Dude, my ex-gf and _B's _body."

Mentally scolding herself for perving out again, the redhead turned her head away from the sight. "Does she always dress like that?" The words nervously left her throat.

"Yes and no. She does have quite the collection though. Hazards of being a stripper, I suppose." Faith bit her tongue to keep from laughing at the pained look Willow was making. "Don't worry. When she cooks, she won't wear anything like this. It's too messy with oils splashing everywhere."

"I think I might die from a sugar high before she gets around to cooking." Willow had moved on to eating from a dish with chocolate-chip rice crispy treats stacked high. "But back to _the _skill. The classic nodding and smiling technique – it's key to any successful relationship."

The brunette slayer nearly choked on the suddenly dry brownie in her mouth, her words spilling out in confusion "_Rela_-"

Before her thoughts could fully form an adequate response, Faith was interrupted with the return of Buffy's presence. She seemed unaware that she'd been the topic of conversation just moments before.

Buffy reached over to snatch what looked like a cranberry and white chocolate cookie and quickly took another bite. "Damn. This is also good," she muttered to herself with a mixture of emotions. She hadn't decided if she was angry that Kate was a better cook, if she was incredibly happy with each delightful bite she took, or a bit of both.

She launched herself back into the conversation as though she'd never left: "Before we burned down Travers' house, I took this from the basement lab." She held up a thick file folder. "I've flipped through it, but I can't seem to make any sense of it. Maybe there's something useful there that will help you find a way to reverse whatever they did to Kate."

Willow nodded. "I'll take a look." She eyeballed the staircase down the hall. "Would it be terribly rude if I got a quick nap first? I've been traveling for a long time."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Wills!" Buffy exclaimed. "Of course," she gushed, embarrassed to be such a bad hostess. "I'm so used to you zipping here with magic, I forgot how long you've been up."

"It's okay." The Wiccan gave her friend a tired smile.

Buffy extended the folder towards the redhead. "In case you want some light reading before bed," she joked. As she handed the folder over, a red flashdrive fell out of the faded file.

Willow bent at the waist and picked up the tiny rectangle. "Did you look at what's on this, too?" she asked. She visually inspected the device. Nothing jumped out at her as out of the ordinary.

Buffy shook her head. "I didn't even know that was in there."

Willow grimaced. "Great. Now I'm curious," she grumbled. "I'll never get to sleep if I don't look at this first." She glanced fleetingly at the staircase once more. Sleep would have to wait. She turned to Faith. "Got a place I can set-up my laptop?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah, Giles' study is just this way." The brunette walked a few steps away pointed to the set of doors across from the staircase. "Make yourself at home."

Willow didn't waste any time. She quickly retrieved her laptop bag from upstairs and focused on setting up a space for herself in the den.

Before Faith could make her way into the room to see if Willow needed any help, Buffy wrapped her fingers around her arm and turned her so that they faced each other. "So, I was thinking…" she trailed off.

"Uh oh. I don't like the sound of that," Faith teased.

Buffy frowned deeply. "Like I was saying…I was thinking." She dropped her voice to a level she could be sure only Faith would hear. "With Willow staying here, it might be a good idea if we slept in our own rooms."

Faith opened her mouth to protest.

"Just until Willow leaves!" Buffy rushed out.

Now it was Faith's turn to frown in confusion. "So you're staying? I mean, even after Willow goes back to San Francisco?"

Buffy grimaced. "I-I don't know yet." She dropped her hand from Faith's arm and stared down at the floor.

"Buffy? Faith?" Willow's voice filtered down the hallway from the direction of the den.

"I guess we should go see what she's hollering about," Faith grunted, not looking at the blonde.

"Faith, wait," Buffy called, forcing Faith to hesitate in her hasty retreat. "I-I…I _do _think there's something going on between us." She cleared her throat as though the words kept getting stuck in her throat. "But I'd like to confront this thing _together, _you and me, before we involve anyone else," she started to ramble. "I just think with Willow being here, and Angel being weird, and trying to help Kate, and everything that happened with Travers—"

Faith softly grabbed the shorter slayer by the shoulders, causing Buffy to pause her babbling. "I get it," she said, calming down the blonde. "It's not the right time."

Buffy looked up at Faith, her eyes shimmering. "And you're okay with that?"

Faith nodded, knowingly. "Sure, B. It's cool. Just don't shut me out completely, okay?"

Buffy stood slightly higher on her tiptoes and placed a soft, lingering kiss on the Bostonian's parted mouth. "Promise," she murmured. She lightly pressed her front fully against the taller woman. "Why is it that even with the distraction of Willow in the den and Kate making cookies in the kitchen, I can't stop thinking about _you_?"

"Same goes for you. But we should stop before someone else stops us." Faith reluctantly pulled back from their closeness.

The blonde lowered herself back down. Foiled again by Faith's cautiousness. "And we should go see what Willow's yelling about," she pouted.

Faith nodded. She motioned with her hands to let Buffy lead the way down the hallway.

"What's up, Will?" Buffy chirped as she and Faith walked into the small library. She stood beside her friend who was seated at Giles desk with her laptop in front of her. Faith took a standing position directly behind the smaller slayer.

Buffy's knees nearly buckled when she felt Faith's fingertips brush the outside of her hip and inconspicuously rest there. Buffy arched her back, effectively pressing her backside into Faith's front. The blonde woman smiled privately when she heard Faith's light intake of air at Buffy's ass pressed against her. Oh yes, two could play this game.

Willow looked up from her laptop. Her features looked suddenly tired. More-so than simple jet lag. "There's something on this flash drive you both need to see."

"What'd you find, Red?" Faith implored.

"I don't really know where to start," the redhead hesitated. She sucked in a deep breath. "You were right about what was going on in Quentin Travers' basement. He _was _trying to clone and grow his own slayers."

"Hah. I told you!" Faith crowed.

Buffy scowled. "I don't think that's something to be excited about."

"It looks like the Council had this plan in place for a while," Willow continued, ignoring the two slayers' banter. "Since 1999, at least."

Buffy audibly gasped. "That's when I quit the Council."

"And when I fucked up the first time," Faith muttered. "One of many."

Buffy gave the brunette's hand a consoling squeeze. She continued to hold Faith's hand, trapping it between their bodies and out of Willow's view. Faith didn't release her hold either. Instead, she stroked her thumb along the palm of Buffy's hand.

"It all makes so much sense, especially with the timing. If they couldn't control the slayer the Fates had Chosen, they'd make their own," Faith noted grimly.

"That's not the worst bit," Willow continued. She tapped her fingers on her laptop's mouse pad and enlarged a number of documents on the computer screen. "The DNA they were using to make these slayers? It's yours."

"Mine?" Buffy and Faith asked in unison.

"Yes," Willow confirmed with a tense nod. "Both of yours."

"Woah," Faith murmured.

"Those _things _in those jars were Mini-Me's?" the blonde asked incredulously.

"Not exactly," Willow clarified. She pulled up some other documents too complicated for either slayer to readily decipher. "According to these files, those fetuses, or whatever you want to call them, were part Buffy and part Faith. Like…if the two of you had a baby together."

Faith cleared her throat uncomfortably while Buffy remained frozen in stunned silence.

"Uh, how exactly is that possible, Red?" Faith questioned. "Last time I checked, neither B or I had a dick."

"You've checked Buffy?" Willow teased, unable to resist.

Buffy reddened and stiffly dropped Faith's hand. "You know what she means," she squeaked.

"It's like when a same-sex couple wants to have a baby that has DNA from both parents," Willow tried to explain. "There's a controversial process called haploidisation that involves taking half the genetic material from one cell and injecting it into another woman's egg. The resulting embryo contains half of the mother's genes and half of the cell donor's genes."

"Wow. How do you know so much about this stuff?" Faith asked, mildly impressed with the spectrum of Willow's knowledge.

Now it was Willow's turn to blush. "Kennedy and I might have looked into it."

"Will! " Buffy exclaimed. "You never told me you were thinking about having a baby! With Kennedy!" she unnecessarily added.

Willow shrugged and continued to examine the files on her desktop. "It was around the time we all gave up our magic and were living with Oz and his family. It was just a fleeting thought. That's all."

"Wait a minute. How did Travers get our DNA in the first place?" Faith questioned as the thought flew to her mind.

Willow frowned. "If these records are correct, they took your eggs and froze them for future use when you were in your coma."

"My-my eggs?" the brunette stuttered.

"With your stab wound and being in a coma for so many months," Willow continued, her voice tinted with pity, "you wouldn't have even known they'd done it. I'm so sorry, Faith."

"What about me? I wasn't ever in a coma or knocked out or hospitalized," Buffy demanded. As much as it unnerved her that the Council had gotten her DNA, she felt even more violated on behalf of Faith. That poor girl just couldn't catch a break.

Willow turned her sympathetic gaze next to her best friend. "It looks like they got your DNA when your mom was sick in the hospital."

Buffy blanched. "But the doctors told me those were routine tests! I only did it because they said it might help my mom! Were they even _doctors_?"

Faith placed a consoling hand on Buffy's shoulder to steady the blonde slayer. Willow had just dropped a bombshell on them both and she didn't know how to respond. "I knew you hated hospitals for a good reason, B."

Faith walked into the study to find Kate, Willow, and Buffy lounging around in their respective pajamas. After binging on baked goods, both Buffy and Kate were crashing from a sugar high. Only Willow seemed unaffected. Even though she'd been traveling for the better part of the past two days, she was still typing away on her laptop. Kate and Buffy sat on opposite sides of the library, both doing their best to ignore each other.

Faith cleared her throat and garnered the attention of the three women. "So, uh, I gotta run into town for a bit. Anybody need anything while I'm out?"

Buffy glanced at the antique clock that sat over the mantel. "You're going out at this hour?"

Faith shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her leather jacket. "Yeah. There's something I gotta take care of that I've been putting off for too long," she stated vaguely.

"You need my help? Want me to come along?" Buffy offered.

"Naw. I got this," Faith stated easily. "Besides, you're in your pajamas already."

"I could always get _out _of my pajamas," Buffy pragmatically pointed out.

Faith glanced in the direction of the redhead and her ex-girlfriend and bit her tongue. Normally she would have jumped on that line, but she held back with both Kate and Willow in the room. Why did Buffy have to make sexual innuendos _so easy _for her? She just lobbed them up like a big, fat softball.

Faith cleared her throat uneasily. "Don't wait up," she said briskly before spinning on her heels and tromping out the front door.

Buffy looked out the window near her overstuffed chair and watched Faith get into one of the cars parked out front. Her curiosity was piqued by Faith's sudden cryptic actions. But instead of obeying her instinct to follow Faith out the front door, she returned to her romance novel instead.

Quentin Travers scraped his spoon against the bottom of the plastic bowl, trying to scoop out the remaining butterscotch pudding. He didn't look up when he heard the door to his hospital room swing open.

"Nurse," he called stuffily. "Fetch me some more pudding will you?"

The door closed and a lock clicked.

"Not your nurse," came a cold, rasping voice.

The former head Watcher snapped his head up. He blanched when he recognized the leather-clad girl. "Y-you," he gasped. He dropped his plastic spoon and it clattered to the floor.

The brunette slayer stalked close to the bed-ridden English man. She absently picked up a throw pillow that rested on an uncomfortable-looking chair near his bedside.

"What do you want?" Travers nervously asked. His eyes flicked to the closed door. Even if he still had use of his legs, Faith still stood between him and his exit. Maybe he should yell for help.

"You dead," Faith snarled.

"But I left you alone!" Travers protested. "It was the Summers girl I wanted neutered, not you."

"How consoling," the dark woman snarled. "Once again, B's the wanted one."

"I—,"

"You don't get it, Q," Faith interrupted. "You can talk 'til your blue in the face, but it's not gonna make a difference. Buffy may not have been able to kill you…" She set her features hard. "…but I can."

Travers blinked in disbelief. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe this was just a horrible, horrible nightmare. "You don't want to do this," he choked out.

Faith's lips twisted into something that resembled a leer. "No, I actually _really _do."

"You're better than this," the aging man tried again. "I'm a broken, withered old man. I don't have much time left anyway. You won't want this on your conscience."

Faith punched her fist into the pillow like it was a catcher's mitt. "That's too much time for me."

The desperate patriarch tried once more. "Rupert told me you'd reformed yourself!"

Faith's dark eyes flickered and her features momentarily softened before hardening once again. The dark woman brought the pillow to Travers' face and pressed down.

"Don't believe everything you hear."

TBC


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

_Recommended Listening: Feist – "The Water"_

Buffy pulled her wool cardigan tighter around her shoulders as a stiff wind blew. Fallen leaves rustled around her, and she struggled to find her footing. The ground was saturated from how rainy it had been the past few days, and the heels of her boots sunk into the soggy grass.

"What are you doing out here?"

Willow looked away from the two horses chasing each other behind the wooden fence. "Just needed some fresh air."

"It's freezing outside," Buffy pointed out, pulling her sweater tighter. "Couldn't you find fresh air anyplace warmer?"

Willow smiled at her friend, but it didn't reach the rest of her face.

Her melancholy didn't go unnoticed. "Will? What's wrong?"

Willow sighed sadly and returned her gaze to the open grazing field. "I talked with Kate this morning about what happened when Travers had her captive."

Buffy leaned against the wooden fence beside her friend. She kicked her boots lightly against a post to knock some of the mud off the bottom of her shoes. "Kate seems to think you had something to do with it," she observed.

"She's right," Willow said softly. "It _is _my fault."

Buffy turned to Willow. "You're being too hard on yourself, Will," she stated. "You didn't even know he was alive."

"Even so," Willow sighed, "what happened to Kate is because of me."

"How?"

"You know that Simone kidnapped me because she thought I could find a way to take away your powers," Willow started, a little sadly. "And she was working for Travers. He's the one that planted that seed in her brain. Simone was ambitious, yes. But not the Big Picture kind of thinker."

Buffy nodded, encouraging her friend to continue.

Willow chewed on her bottom lip. Her eyes glazed over. "I did it," she said quietly. "I found a way to chemically mute slayers' powers."

Buffy nearly choked on her own tongue at her friend's admission. "It…you did what?"

Willow tore her gaze away from the horses to look at her friend. Her eyes pled for forgiveness. "I'm so sorry, Buffy. I let my scientific curiosity get the best of me. I should have resisted Simone more. And when you guys rescued me, I thought it was all over. I have no idea how Travers got my formula." She dropped her eyes to the ground. "Now I know how the scientists who created the nuclear bomb felt," she said glumly.

Buffy let Willow's revelation sink in. She could tell how horrible her friend felt. "Will," she started carefully, "I don't think it's as serious as all that. It's not a nuclear bomb."

"But it could have been used against _you_, Buffy," Willow said, her vocal chord straining with emotion. "That's what Travers intended anyway. Kate's proof of that. And now Kate's powerless thanks to me."

Buffy felt a little nauseous. "Do you think it's possible to help Kate? Or is she really stuck in my body forever?"

Willow exhaled. "I honestly don't know."

The two friends fell silent, both gazing across the horizon where Giles' horses galloped and frolicked without care.

"You told me on the phone you found a loophole around the 'no magic' policy," Buffy observed, breaking the silence. "Couldn't you try magic?"

Willow grimaced. "I could try," she reluctantly admitted. "But I'd need your blood."

"Uh, my _what_?" Buffy turned to her friend, sure that she'd misheard her.

"Well, _slayer blood_ to be precise," Willow clarified. "It contains elements of magic."

Buffy's eyebrows nearly rocketed off her forehead. "And how did you figure _that_ out?"

"I actually never would have discovered it if Simone hadn't kidnapped me," Willow mused. "But it all makes sense now. When you destroyed the Seed of Wonder…"

"…which…you know…_again_, sorry about that," Buffy interrupted.

Willow waved a hand, dismissing her friend's interruption so she could continue. "When magic ended, but slayers kept their powers, I couldn't understand it. If destroying the Seed of Wonder supposedly destroyed all magic, how come you were still a Slayer? But I figured it out. The magic – it's in your DNA."

Buffy's features crumpled with confusion. "I thought you said it was in my blood."

Willow couldn't help her smirk. "There's DNA in blood."

"Oh." Buffy paused. She hated conversations like this with Willow. It always managed to make her feel stupid. "So you've been doing magic with the help of slayer blood?" she repeated. "Who's the supplier?"

Willow made a face. "I really hate this conversation."

"_Where_, Willow?" Buffy pressed. She stomped her foot on the sodden ground and her boot stuck in the mud. "Oh gross," she murmured.

"I've been using Kennedy's blood," Willow sighed. "But she doesn't know."

"How would she not realize you were taking her blood?" Buffy demanded. "I'm pretty sure that's something she would notice."

"Not if she thought she was just being extra clutzy lately."

"Willow!" Buffy admonished. "You're purposely_ hurting _Kennedy to get her blood?"

Willow turned her face away from Buffy's judgmental stare. "You don't understand what it's like to suddenly be powerless," she grumbled sourly.

"I'm pretty sure I do," Buffy snorted. "Remember my 18th birthday?"

"I remember," Willow countered stubbornly. "And do you remember that you couldn't _wait_ to get your slayer abilities back?"

Buffy shook her head. "It's not the same," she denied. "You're comparing apples to bricks, Will."

"You mean apples and oranges," Willow corrected.

"Whatever. They're all fruit," Buffy scowled.

Willow raised an amused eyebrow. "Bricks are fruit? What food pyramid did you grow up with?"

"_My point is_ my Watcher took my powers away from me and almost got my mom killed in the process," Buffy growled with heat. "I wanted my abilities back to save her life. I didn't _ask_ to be a slayer. It's nothing I actively sought out."

Willow bristled. "You take your powers for granted."

"And _you _take my _friendship_ for granted," the blonde countered with fiery emotion. "I came out here to see if you were okay because you wandered off, and I was worried; I wasn't planning on getting a guilt-trip about still having powers when you don't," Buffy huffed. "When I destroyed the Seed, I had no idea what it would do. Do you want me to apologize to you? Would that make you happy?"

Willow pressed her lips together in a thin line.

"This conversation isn't going anywhere," Buffy snapped. "Can you help Kate or not?"

Willow's eyes flashed with pain. She hadn't expected Buffy to get so angry. It was an emotion she'd rarely seen aimed at her. "I can try," she shrugged. She tried to shut down her emotions and appear unaffected. "But I can't promise anything."

"Just do what needs to be done." Buffy pushed herself off the fence and started back toward the mansion. "And I'll even give you my blood."

"Argh! I'm _so_ frustrated with her!"

Faith looked up from her novel to see Buffy burst into her bedroom.

"With who?" Faith questioned with reserved calm. She made mental note of her page number and closed her book.

"Willow." Buffy closed the bedroom door behind her so she could vent without prying ears overhearing. She pulled her slightly muddy boots off and threw them noisily on the floor.

Faith watched the other slayer's exaggerated antics with a raised eyebrow. Buffy finally threw herself onto the bed beside the brunette.

"She makes me _so mad_!" Buffy steamed.

Faith moved her book to the bedside table so Buffy wouldn't be tempted to throw it on the ground. "Tell me what happened," she said calmly.

She waited patiently while Buffy struggled with her emotions before recanting her recent conversation with her best friend.

"I hadn't seen Willow since breakfast. I was worried she'd gotten herself lost or something. But then I ran into Kate, and she said she'd thought Willow had gone out to the barn." Buffy sucked in a sharp breath. "So I went outside to see if she was okay."

"Wait," Faith interjected. "Back up. You talked to Kate? Unsupervised?" The very thought made her stomach upset.

"Briefly," Buffy nodded. She pursed her lips at Faith. "I _can _control myself around her and be polite, you know."

Faith snorted in disbelief. "Uh huh. Continue with your story."

Buffy blew out a deep breath. "So anyway, I found Willow out by the barn, and she was looking kind of depressed, so I tried to do the best-friend thing and find out what was wrong."

"She's not missing Kennedy already, is she?" Faith lightly joked.

Buffy shook her head. "No. I wish." She hazarded a glance at the other slayer and hesitated. She could nearly predict how Faith was going to reaction. "She was feeling guilty because…she's responsible for what happened to Kate."

At the words, Faith nearly leaped off the bed. Sensing the other slayer's instinct to lash out, Buffy laid a calming hand on her knee. Faith visibly relaxed at the reassuring touch, but her eyes still flickered intensely.

Faith cleared her throat. "Explain," she ordered in a dull tone.

Buffy sighed. She knew Faith would react this way. She was still deeply protective and connected to her doppelganger. She probably always would.

"When Simone kidnapped Willow," Buffy started, "it was to make Will find a way to take away slayer powers."

Faith nodded. "Right. We knew that already. And Simone was working for Travers who wanted to end the slayer line in order to create one of his own – slayers that the Watchers Council could finally control."

"Uh huh," Buffy confirmed. "But what we didn't know is that Willow _succeeded_."

"Holy shit," Faith murmured.

"Yeah. Tell me about it." Buffy pushed her hair out of her face and sighed. "But it's not like Willow just _handed over _her findings to Travers. She's not sure how Travers got her formula in the first place."

"Maybe one of Simone's girls got her hands on it, after we cleaned house, and sent it his way," Faith suggested. "I'm sure there's at least a handful of those nut jobs that didn't give up just because Simone's dead."

"Maybe," Buffy conceded. "But we'll probably never know unless Travers tells us." She chewed on her bottom lip. "And now that I think about it, we don't know if the only copy of Willow's formula went up in smoke along with Travers' house. On top of that," Buffy's voice seemed to raise an octave in hysterics, "we don't know if there's _other_ Watcher Labs out there still trying to clone us." Her body visibly sagged. "God, this is fucked."

"Does Willow think she can reverse what they did to Kate?" Faith asked tensely. She was suddenly realizing that they still could have used Travers. He would have had all the answers to Buffy's questions. And now he was dead, taking his secrets with him.

"Maybe. She told me she found a way to get around the 'no-magic' thing."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "I should be surprised, but I'm not. Where there's a Willow, there's a way."

Buffy nodded glumly. "It should be the silver lining of this story, but it's not. Long story, short…Slayer blood contains magic. Willow's been able to do small spells with the help of the blood."

Faith's features crumpled. Nothing about that last sentence sounded good. "How much blood?" she asked carefully. Images of slayers hanging from the ceiling to be bled dry morbidly flashed in her head.

"I'm not sure," Buffy admitted. "I'm guessing not a lot. She's been getting her slayer blood from Kennedy." She frowned at the memory. "And, she told me that Kennedy didn't know she was taking her blood." She paused, thinking. "I'm pretty sure Kennedy's still alive."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure?"

"Um." Buffy grimaced. "Maybe I should make a phone call to San Francisco."

Faith nodded. Despite the gravity of their conversation she couldn't help but smile at the blonde. "That's probably a good idea."

Buffy appraised the other woman's beautiful face. "I like you in those glasses," she observed.

"Oh yeah?" Faith smiled playfully. She pushed her frames down to the edge of her nose. "Do they make me look smart?"

"The smartest," Buffy nodded. After a moment, she sighed wistfully. "Thank you."

"For what?" Faith asked.

"You make me feel better," Buffy revealed. She grabbed Faith's hand and traced random patterns on the back of her hand. Faith's skin felt warm and soft beneath her light touch.

Looking down at the lines of silent frustration that were etched on Buffy's face, Faith readjusted herself and sat up straighter. "Get over here." She helped pull Buffy up to have her rest her head against the crook of her neck. "I know you're going to do it anyway, but try not to blame yourself for all of this, okay?"

"It's just so hard not to." Buffy slid her arm across the younger slayer's stomach.

"I know," Faith chuckled softly. "You and that damn martyr complex."

Buffy snorted. "So I should just be mad at Willow instead?"

"Maybe," Faith agreed. "But only for a little while. I mean, all that slayer blood business? Bitches be crazy."

Faith's words pulled a short laugh from the blonde. "You're the crazy one," she countered with all the wit of a 5-year-old.

Faith nodded. "Certifiably crazy. What other excuse could I have to let all you women stay at my house?"

Buffy smirked and pinched Faith's side.

"But seriously, B," Faith began again. "You can't stay mad at Willow forever."

"Are you siding with her?" Buffy asked shrilly. Faith held on tighter in hopes that Buffy's anger wouldn't be redirected towards her.

"No. I'm just saying, it's _Willow. _She's your best friend. And while she's out here, you guys should patch things up and enjoy each other's company." Faith could feel Buffy's body relax itself against her, and she sighed in relief.

Nodding into the body beside her, Buffy held tightly to the brunette. "When'd you get so smart?" she murmured, enjoying the closeness.

"It's these magic glasses."

"Oh yeah? Lemme try." Buffy carefully pulled the glasses away from Faith's face and settled them on the bridge of her own nose. She turned to Faith and grinned. "What do you think?"

Faith grinned broadly. "I think you'd make a hot librarian."

The two slayers relaxed comfortably together until Buffy heard Faith's breathing start a slow, rhythmic pattern. She hazarded a peek at the brunette's face to discover that the other woman's eyes were now closed.

Buffy slowly turned her body into Faith's, careful not to rouse the younger slayer from her impromptu nap. She moved her head until she was mere inches from Faith's neck. Tentatively, she breathed warm air against the exposed skin. When Faith's eyes merely fluttered, but remained closed, Buffy pressed her lips fully against Faith's soft neck.

Still not receiving the reaction she was hoping for, Buffy went a step further and placed open-mouthed, wet kisses along Faith's jugular. She lightly danced her fingertips along the exposed skin just above the collar of Faith's v-neck t-shirt.

Faith slowly opened her eyes, and a slow smile pulled onto her mouth. "What are you doing, B?" she murmured.

"I'm kissing your neck," Buffy stated matter-of-factly.

"I can tell." Faith almost choked when she felt Buffy's canines nip at her jugular. "And the way you're working at it, I'd guess you suddenly became a vampire."

"Ha-ha," Buffy deadpanned, not easily discouraged. "If I was some soulless vampire, would you let me be this close?" She nuzzled her nose into Faith's neck.

"Nope. Never." Playfully, Faith placed her hand over her neck to block it from Buffy's torrent of kisses. Buffy pouted at the barrier when Faith refused to move her hand.

"Are you sure about that?" Buffy whispered against the brunette's ear in a breathy way that made Faith squirm.

With a devilish smile, Buffy dipped her head back down to Faith's neck. She kissed Faith's hand and then moved on to her fingers. Tantalizingly slow, she licked the full length of the path between Faith's fingers. The brunette loosened her grip around her neck, allowing Buffy to push her fingers apart and lick between them, as well as Faith's neck.

Faith released a deep, shuddering breath. "Shit, woman. Do you even _know _the things you do to me?"

Buffy leaned back slightly and smirked. "I think I have an idea."

TBC


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: Who Are You?**

Faith grabbed the small blonde from behind, and wrapped her arms around her lithe waist. She leaned in to murmur in her ear. "Willow's got her nose stuck in a book. How about we go down to the barn and spar?" She lowered her tone and voice suggestively. "I haven't had my hands on you in a while. Maybe our bodies should get reacquainted."

The girl in her arms spun around, nearly bumping noses. "Sure, I'm game," she beamed. "But Buffy might get upset."

Faith immediately released her hold on the shorter woman and jumped backwards, putting space between she and the blonde. "God damn it," she cursed, immediately realizing her mistake.

She really needed Kate to regain her powers. Not only was the guilt omnipresent, but she couldn't risk another case of "mistaken identity."

Kate grinned broadly, showing off Buffy's perfect smile. "You're lucky I'm such an honest girl, Lehane," she chuckled. She playfully poked the slayer in the ribs. "I could have let you keep going."

Faith blew out a deep breath and raked her fingers through her loose locks. "And I thank you for stopping me."

Faith allowed her gaze to rake over Kate's Buffy-shaped figure. From the flat-ironed, blonde tresses to the carefully manicured toenails there was nothing to suggest that the woman standing before her wasn't actually the Chosen One. It was only Kate's forthrightness that kept Faith from making that kind of mistake – and Kate's penchant for wearing minimal clothes even in the drafty farm estate. Maybe Kate could convince Buffy to ditch the peasant skirts and pastels once in a while in favor of something a little more revealing and edgy, Faith mused. Buffy would look damn appealing in leather and lace.

Kate quirked an eyebrow and appraised the dark-haired slayer. Faith's head-to-toe sweep hadn't gone unnoticed, nor the way her nostrils had flared and her eyes had darkened. "You two have, uh," she struggled to find the appropriate words, "gotten close, huh?"

Faith ducked her head. She really didn't want to talk about this. Especially not with Kate. It felt unnatural that two exes should talk so comfortably about the topic of new loves. Too much of a lesbian cliché. "I guess you could say that," she mumbled.

Kate smirked at the other woman's vagueness. "I could say that, yes. But what could _you _say?"

"You know, I think the more time you spend in Buffy's body, the more you're even starting to talk like her," Faith chuckled. "Put your words in word places, lady."

Kate scowled and stomped her foot in a very Buffy-like mannerism; Faith let it pass. This time.

"What I mean is that to an outsider, it looks like you and Buffy are close," Kate clarified. "One might even venture to say that you're in a _relationship_. But how about you? What do _you _say you two are?"

"Oh…" Faith scratched the back of her neck and shuffled her feet. "Uh, I guess I'd say we're in a relationship?" Her voice cracked on the R-word. It didn't feel right on her tongue. "Like, I'm not interested in dating anyone else until she and I figure out this thing."

"Wow," Kate murmured. She folded her arms across her chest. "I'm actually impressed. Look at you growin' and stuff," she grinned.

"You're an ass," Faith grunted.

Kate twirled prettily and stuck out her backside in an exaggerated manner. "Lucky for me you really like this ass. And speaking of asses…" her hazel-green eyes sparkled mischievously, "what does _Buffy _have to say about all this?"

Faith made a pained face. "We haven't really _talked _about it. We made a stupid deal that we'd postpone a real 'talk' until she was about to leave."

"Wow." Kate's eyes perceptibly widened. "That's really weak."

"I don't need a lecture, Kate," Faith scowled.

"Does she actually have a date she's planning on going back to the States?" Kate inquired. "Or is she living here indefinitely?"

"I don't know," Faith shrugged.

"You seem awfully cavalier about all this, Fai," Kate observed with a small, concerned frown. "It doesn't sound like you."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to understand," Kate pressed. Her tone grew serious. "Listen, even without magic, I know what's in your heart. You're in love with her. I can see it every time you look at her."

Saying the words out loud was unsettling, but she didn't let it visibly show. "I don't want to see you get hurt," Kate asserted. "I want to know that you're not just letting her guide your relationship because you're so blinded by love. Healthy relationships have to be a two-way street."

"I'm a big girl, Kate," Faith said gruffly. "Don't worry about me." She rolled her shoulders as though Kate's words had ruffled her feathers.

"I'm not worried about _you_, babe." Kate laid a hand on Faith's arm. "I'm worried about your heart. It's not the same thing."

Faith snorted. "Not sure there's a heart to be worried about anymore. Might not have ever been," she said darkly.

Kate dropped her hand from Faith's arm and frowned, forming deep lines on Buffy's face. "Don't do that," she chastised.

Faith leaned against a wall and picked at her cuticles. This conversation was quickly becoming her least favorite with Kate. "Do what?"

"Deflect. Get self-destructive and self-loathing." Kate countered. She shook her head. "It's not an attractive quality."

The right corner of Faith's lips curled up in a half smile. "You never let me get away with anything, do you?"

Kate returned Faith's smile with one of her own. "Nope. Someone's gotta kick your ass once in a while." The smile on her lips faltered. "Faith, can we talk about the other night?"

"You're gonna have to be more specific, Kate. There have been many nights."

The blonde gave Faith a stern look. "Don't play dumb. You know what I mean – the _errand._"

Faith self-consciously looked around the hallway to make sure no one was within earshot. "We'll talk about it…_later_," she hushed.

Kate opened her mouth to protest, but Faith silenced her. "_Later_, Kate," she insisted more emphatically. "Let's just deal with one thing at a time, okay?"

"I'm not Buffy," Kate snorted. "'Later' isn't going to fly with me forever."

Faith sighed and her head drooped. "I know. You don't have to remind me."

"Sure I do." A mischievous smile crawled onto Kate's borrowed face. "Don't forget that just a few minutes ago you were moments away from shackin-"

Faith covered the shape shifter's mouth with her hand and smiled. She felt the tension leaving her body as the levity of their conversation slowly dissipated. "So big day today, huh?" She removed her hand from Kate's mouth.

Kate winced at the change of subject. "Yeah."

Faith pushed herself off the wall with the bottom of her boot. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, so _now _you're concerned with my feelings." Kate stuck out her tongue. "I'm not sure," she admitted with a shrug. "Nervous? Excited? Like a guinea pig?"

The dark-haired slayer looked concerned. "We don't have to do this."

"I can't stay like this," Kate stated pragmatically as she indicated the body that didn't belong to her. "You know that."

Faith nodded. "I know," she sighed. "But if you're uncomfortable with this whole blood magic thing, we can find another way."

"_Is _there another way?" the shiftless shifter questioned.

Faith frowned. "Fuck if I know."

"Exactly. I'm gonna do this." Kate took a deep breath. "And if it doesn't work, we'll try something else."

"Yeah," Faith stated somewhat dejectedly.

"It won't be so bad," Kate said firmly, more trying to convince herself than Faith. "What's the worst thing that could happen, right?"

"I dunno," Faith shrugged. "Willow's spell doesn't work, and your face ends up looking like a Picasso?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Helpful as always."

Faith grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. "I do what I can."

Willow, Buffy, Faith, and Kate sat around the kitchen island. No one said a word. Buffy glared at her best friend. Willow pretended not to notice. Faith chewed on her lower lip, and Kate stared at her hands, willing them to stop shaking. The sound of Giles' Grandfather clock echoed from the nearby den.

Faith was the first to break the silence: "So, uh, how is this gonna work?"

Willow looked up from the notebook in which she'd been scribbling nonstop since agreeing to help Kate return to her regular form. "I'm not entirely sure. I've only been levitating pencils and unbending Q-tips so far," she admitted.

"Why ya holding back?" Faith asked. She felt wildly uncomfortable with this 'experiment' not just because it would utilize slayer blood; she hated the idea of Kate going through anymore trauma.

"Baby steps," Willow replied. "Magic might be an old hat to me, but not this blood magic. I didn't want to do too much too soon."

"Plus you'd have to drain Kennedy for anything major," Buffy snorted bitterly. "And she'd probably notice that."

"B…" Faith murmured. She flashed her sister-Slayer a chastising look that said 'behave.'

Buffy frowned a little at Faith's support for Willow. She wanted her sister-Slayer to be just as upset with the redhead as she was for all the secrets. At Faith's gentle insistence, however, she at least momentarily dropped the icy glare she'd been giving Willow all morning.

"Slayer blood is actually very potent," Willow sniffed. "It's not like larger spells are going to require human sacrifice."

"Just how much blood are we talkin' about, Red?" Faith asked uneasily.

"This is all just an educated guess," Willow stated, "but you donate more at once with the Red Cross."

"Less than a pint?" Buffy echoed.

Willow nodded. "As long as you're not asking me to open a Hellmouth, I don't think it's going to take a lot. And I have a theory that the closer the Slayer is to the Original Line, the more potent the magic."

"So like B's and my blood would be stronger, and you'd need less of it to do a spell than, say, if you were using Kennedy's blood?" Faith asked.

"Exactly. But again, it's all just a theory right now," Willow reminded the trio. "I won't know until we try."

"Well," Faith breezed as she started to roll up the sleeves of her shirt, "no time like the present."

Buffy clamped a halting hand on Faith's forearm. "What are you doing?"

"Gettin' in line to donate some blood," Faith stated. She shrugged out of Buffy's hot grasp.

The blonde shook her head. "I can't let you do that."

"Any why not?" Faith challenged. "My blood's just as good as yours, Blondie," she grunted. "Plus don't forget that the Slayer line runs through _me._"

"I know it does," Buffy sighed. She had hoped to avoid a scene like this in front of Willow and Kate. "But I don't feel comfortable about this."

"Needles make you squeamish, Princess?" Faith smirked. "You don't have to watch."

"You know I hate anything having to do with hospitals," Buffy pouted. "But that's not what I'm talking about."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Buffy frowned. She hazarded a glance at her doppelganger. Kate's face, _her _face, stared back with intense interest. Buffy lowered her tone slightly. "Do you have to keep helping her like this?"

"Shit, B," Faith exclaimed. "It's _my_ fault she shifted into your body in the first place. It's the least I can do."

Buffy worried her lower lip. She flicked her eyes at everyone present. She couldn't have this conversation with Kate and Willow in the room.

"Just let me try, B," Faith cajoled when it was clear Buffy wasn't going to say anymore. "If it comes down to it, if my blood's not going to work because you're closer to the Original Slayer, then you can have a turn."

Buffy turned her hard gaze away from Faith and settled it on Kate. "So you're really going to try this?" she challenged.

Kate held up her hands. "No offense, Buffy. But I really want my body back."

"And no offense, Kate," Buffy mimicked. "But I really want you out of my body."

"Well, I guess that settles it," Willow said, taking a deep, calming breath. "We're doing this."

The redheaded Wicca stood up from the kitchen stool and walked next to Faith. Spread out on the countertop were all the accoutrements she would require for the spell as well as the materials to extract the blood.

Faith finished rolling up her right sleeve. She flexed and tensed her and tapped two fingers against the crook of her elbow. "Someone once told me I have good veins," she remarked as she coaxed the vein to the surface. "Must've inherited 'em from my junkie mom."

Willow gave the dark-haired slayer a sympathetic smile. "Nervous?"

Faith breathed out shakily and her legs bounced. "Nervous as fuck," she laughed uneasily.

"It's just a little blood," Willow breathed reverently. Her nostrils flared. She removed a hollow needle from its packaging and began to set-up her other supplies.

Buffy remained rooted to her spot despite the urge to go to Faith and hold her hand. She felt useless and it annoyed her – she could only be a passive voyeur to what was about to occur.

Willow pressed the tip of the hollow needle against Faith's flesh. "You'll feel a little prick," she mumbled.

"That's what he said," Faith inappropriately responded.

The needle easily sliced through the epidermis. Willow pressed a little harder until she saw dark liquid start to creep up the translucent syringe. "First try," she remarked, proud of her self. "Maybe I missed my Calling."

"Can I get you anything?" Kate asked. "Water? Juice? Beer?" She hopped up from her seat and started to pace in the kitchen.

"I'm fine, Kate," Faith reassured the anxious woman.

Faith stared down at the needle jutting from her skin and swallowed hard. She clenched and unclenched her fist a few times to coax the blood to flow faster. The fluid looked impossibly dark as it escaped her vein and traveled through the plastic tubes. "Almost done?" she asked.

Willow's gaze remained fixed to the plastic bag at the end of the tubing where Faith's blood collected. "Almost." She licked her lips. "Almost there."

After a few more seconds, Willow returned her attention to Faith and carefully removed the needle from the Boston slayer's flesh. She pressed a thick cotton ball against the puncture mark and angled the slayer's arm so her forearm pressed against the recent wound.

"Do you want a Band-Aid?" Willow asked awkwardly.

Faith shook her head. "I'll be fine. Slayer healing," she reminded the witch. "The hole will close up in a few seconds."

Buffy caught Faith's dark gaze and the two shared a warm smile.

Even though Willow hadn't taken a lot of blood, Faith's skin tone looked a little paler than usual. "Do I get a cookie or something now?" she asked weakly.

Kate laughed a little louder than necessary. The noise seemed to rattle the other women in the room. "We get through this unscathed and I'll bake you up another batch of lemon bars," she promised.

Willow busied herself with the final steps of the spell. She transported Faith's blood from the hospital bag and poured it into a vessel. She dipped her fingers into the still-warm fluid and swabbed under her eyes. She dipped her fingers in the bowl again and painted under Kate's eyes as well.

"What do you think?" Kate asked, joking to lighten the situation. She turned to appraise Faith. Two streaks of the dark slayer's blood were under her eyes. "Is it a good look for me?"

"More like the Football Player of Death," Faith retorted with a forced laugh.

"Here goes nothing," Willow murmured.

Kate rolled her eyes, masking her nerves. "Way to make a girl feel confident."

The Wicca ignored the shape shifter's remarks and began to mumble a Latin incantation under her breath. She waved her hands over the blood-filled vessel. The shallow bowl began to vibrate on the marble countertop as though an earthquake was shaking the farm house.

"Well that's new," Faith murmured. She hadn't had the opportunity to be present for many of Willow's spells before. Even though Slayer strength was certainly admirable, the Wicca's abilities amazed her. Willow's magic was far more than pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

A pierce shriek filled the air. All eyes went immediately to Kate. "Ahhhhhh!" she screamed again.

Kate clenched onto the kitchen counter for support. "What the fuck!" she gurgled. The muscles in her slender arms rapidly tensed and relaxed. Her face suddenly looked sallow, and a thin sheen of sweat had already accumulated.

Willow's face revealed her worry. "You guys should go," she said to the two slayers. Her words shook, but her eyes never left Kate's contorting figure. "I can take it from here."

Faith leapt off of her chair, her momentary fatigue quickly forgotten. "Like hell I'm leaving!" she stubbornly exclaimed.

Buffy stood as well and grabbed onto Faith's arm. "Maybe we should do what Willow says," she urged in a low murmur. She was worried about Kate too, but she wasn't going to last much longer watching Kate, watching _her own body_, go through this transformation. Even though she hadn't been the one to donate blood, she felt faint.

Kate completely doubled over and screamed again.

Faith made a motion as if to go after Kate, but found that Buffy was holding on too tight. "Damn it, B!" she yelled in frustration. She tried to shake the clinging woman off. "Get off me!"

Kate snapped to her full height. Her normally hazel-green eyes flashed yellow, and her face was twisted in agony. She glared accusingly at the Chosen Two. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" she boomed.

TBC


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: You've Changed**

"What's happening to her!" Faith demanded. "What the hell are you doing to her, Red?" She glared at the startled witch and then stared back at the nearly indescribable view before her.

The shape shifter's body turned nearly translucent and looked like it was the consistency of rubber or playdough. Kate's facial features shifted before their eyes, her nose changing in size, her eyes changing colors, and her lips plumping and thinning in a rapid fashion. Her legs and arms thickened and slimmed, and her breasts went through a speedy change in cup sizes beneath her tank top. Her skin transitioned through a rainbow of pigments and her hair changed shape and texture and length as well. She doubled over in pain, clutched her stomach, and screamed again.

"It's-it's not me!" Willow stuttered. "It's the magic forcing itself back into her body."

Her face revealed a mixture of amazement and horror. "I think her body is going through every shape she's ever changed into," she guessed.

"Is it going to stop!" Faith shrieked. Her body jerked in Kate's direction, every instinct screaming at her to _do something_.

Sensing Faith's desire to jump in and help as Kate continued to morph, Buffy grabbed onto the dark slayer's arm and held her back. It wasn't that she didn't want Faith to help Kate; but her gut told her that this was something Kate had to go through herself.

"Get this shirt," Kate wheezed when the morphing momentarily stopped, "off of me." She clawed uselessly at her tank top as though it was suffocating her.

"No, Faith." Buffy tightened her hold.

"Just let me do this," Faith stated gruffly. She pulled out of Buffy's grasp and scrambled to Kate's aid. She immediately ripped the tank top off over the shape shifter's head. The material made a ripping sound from its hasty removal.

"What can I do?" Faith asked her ex-girlfriend. She placed her hand in the small of her back. Kate's skin felt clammy, having broken out in a cold sweat from the pain of the rapid transformations.

"Nothing," Kate growled. "You've done enough."

Faith tore her eyes away from Kate when she felt a gentle hand touch her elbow. "We should go," Buffy said in a quiet, calm tone. "Willow can take it from here."

Faith hesitated at Kate's side.

"You have to let her go, Faith," Buffy implored. Her hazel eyes looked wet.

Kate doubled over again and clutched at her stomach. At least the morphing had stopped, but she was still stuck in Buffy's body. "Go, Faith," she gasped, confirming Buffy's words. She waved a hand in a shooing motion. "I'll be fine."

She didn't want Faith to see her like this.

Buffy closed the door to Giles' study behind her. She turned and watched as Faith paced the room in an agitated manner. The dark-haired slayer seemed to grow angrier with every tick of the oversized grandfather clock.

"Why doesn't she want us in there?" Faith wondered aloud. She raked both hands through her unruly mane and made a loud, frustrated noise. "I swear, if Red does something to mess her up…"

"Willow's going to do her best to fix her, Fai," Buffy stated slowly. "She always does her best." She eyeballed the agitated slayer as if watching a bomb about to implode.

"I should be in there," Faith continued to rant. She stopped pacing in favor of bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I shouldn't have just given up so easily and left Kate in there. There's gotta be something I can do besides hang out in here. There's gotta—"

Faith was silenced by Buffy's lips pressed soundly against her own. Her eyes widened, and she made a muffled noise of surprised as Buffy deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue between Faith's parted lips. Buffy held tight onto the other woman's hips, wanting to tether the taller slayer.

Faith eagerly abandoned her anxiety when Buffy curled her tongue around her own and sucked. She groaned into the blonde's mouth and raked her fingernails down Buffy's sides.

After a moment, Buffy pulled away and sighed. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Faith's.

"You don't fight fair," Faith breathed.

Buffy reached down and intertwined their fingers. "Just wanted to take your mind off of it," she said quietly. "I know it's eating you up." She looked up into Faith's dark, searching eyes. "Did it work?"

Faith released a deep, calming breath. 'Yeah, B. Thanks."

Buffy tugged on the taller slayer's arm. "Sit with me?" she asked in a soft voice.

Faith was slightly stunned at how calm and collected the blonde was behaving. But she was thankful for it as well; she was freaking out enough for the both of them.

Faith followed Buffy to the overstuffed, leather couch and sat down heavily. Buffy sat beside her, not relinquishing her hold on her hand. The two sat in silence while Buffy absently played with Faith's long, tapered fingers.

"You know you can talk to me," Buffy stated, breaking the silence. "I've been told I'm a good listener."

"That's like being told you're a good kisser," Faith snorted, not looking at the woman beside her. "Everyone thinks they're a good listener and a good kisser."

Buffy tilted her head so her nose was primly in the air. "Well, I have it on very high authority that my kissing skills are top notch as well."

Faith raised an amused eyebrow, momentarily able to forget about what was going on just a few hundred feet away from them. "Oh really?"

"What do _you _think of them?"

Faith opened her mouth to blast off a cheeky retort, but snapped her mouth closed when they heard another ear-piercing shriek coming from the direction of the kitchen.

Acting on instinct, both slayers jumped to their feet and raced in the direction of the high-pitched screaming. It had always struck Buffy as odd that her instinct was to run _toward _blood-curdling screams, not _away_.

The two women burst back into the kitchen. Kate was still doubled over, moaning and sobbing. Willow held her hands over the stooped shifter and quietly chanted in a language that neither Buffy nor Faith recognized.

A burst of bright yellow light shot from Willow's opened palms and settled over Kate's figure like an eerily glowing blanket. The slayers watched as darkness appeared at the roots of Kate's corn-silk stresses. The dark dye grew, crawling over her loose hair like vines scrawling up a brick wall until the once blonde locks had transformed back to Kate's natural brunette coloring.

Kate's bronzed tan faded slightly, taking on more of an olive tone. Her bones popped and crackled, the sickening sound not quite drowned out by her own screams. Her legs and arms slightly elongated, her breasts swelled, and her ribcage stretched.

The faint glow that highlighted her entire body pulsed once more and then disappeared entirely, leaving no indication of it ever being there in the first place. As the light left her skin, Kate crumpled to the kitchen tiles, faint from exhaustion.

Faith was immediately at Kate's side, but she hesitated to touch her until Kate looked up. When she finally did, her eyes looked dark and vacant. Faith squatted down and touched the shape-shifter's face. "Are you okay?" she quietly asked.

Kate closed her eyes and her beautiful features crunched together. "Am I…me again?"

Faith smiled softly at the woman. "Yeah, Kate. You're you again."

Kate opened her eyes and sighed tiredly. "Oh, good."

Faith gingerly helped the other woman to her feet. She carefully held the svelte woman upright as though she expected Kate to crumble or catch on fire.

"Here," Buffy said. She held out a damp dishcloth. Faith looked questioningly at the smaller slayer. "For the blood on her face," Buffy clarified.

Faith silently nodded her understanding and accepted the wet towel. She rearranged the dishcloth in her hand and began to wipe away the slayer blood still caked on Kate's face.

"Let's go upstairs, okay?" she proposed to Kate once the blood had been cleaned away.

Kate weakly nodded.

Faith gingerly helped the shape-shifter walk towards the second floor staircase. "Do you need anything?" she asked. "Maybe water? Some saltines?"

In any other circumstance, Faith's concern would bring a smile to Kate's face. But she was too fatigued for any kind of emotion. "No," she croaked, "I just need sleep."

Faith was patient while Kate slowly shuffled to the base of the staircase. Kate paused at the first step and made a quiet whimpering noise as she looked up at the 20 or so steps she needed to ascend to get to her second floor bedroom.

Before she could voice her complain or worry, however, she felt strong arms bar against the back of her legs, effectively sweeping her off her feet. Kate stared questioningly into Faith's dark chocolate eyes when she realized that Faith was going to carry her to the second floor.

"It'll be faster this way," Faith grunted.

Kate mustered a weak smile, nodded, and then promptly blacked out.

Buffy watched as Willow quietly moved around the gourmet kitchen. The Wicca had been silent since Faith had ushered Kate out of the room. Willow picked up the medium-sized vessel that contained a pint of slayer blood. She stared down into the dark, thick liquid.

A myriad of emotions passed over her face, almost as if she had been the shape shifter. Finally, her face settled on resolve. She hefted the clay pot and brought it over to the double kitchen sink. She turned on the cold water faucet and then tipped the vessel over so the slayer blood poured out and into the sink. The crimson liquid mixed with the rushing water, tinting the tap water pink. The invaluable magic-source swirled down the drain. When the last of the blood was disposed of, Willow shut off the faucet.

"You could have kept that," Buffy quietly observed.

Willow didn't turn around to face the blonde slayer. "It wouldn't have been right," she said with a small shrug.

Buffy fully entered the kitchen. "Wills…I know why you kept the slayer blood-magic a secret. And I was upset at the beginning. But I want you to know that I trust you. I trust you with my life."

Willow gave the Chosen One a weak smile. "But I don't trust myself."

Buffy's features revealed her confusion at the redhead's words.

The Wicca nodded toward the kitchen sink. "That's why I had to dump all that blood. I slipped up once before and hurt everyone I love because I was addicted to dark magic." She shook her head adamantly. "And I'm not going to risk hurting you all again by continuing to mess around with blood magic."

Buffy pulled her long-time friend in for a tight embrace. Willow allowed herself some comfort from the simple hug. "We'll find a way, Wills," Buffy assured her friend. "We'll find a safe way to bring magic back, or we'll find a way to survive without it."

Willow sighed deeply. "Thank you."

Buffy pulled back and inspected her friend's face. "Are you okay in here? I'm gonna go talk to Faith and see how Kate is doing."

Willow nodded. "I'm just going to finish putting these supplies away and then I'm headed to bed. That spell…it…it really rattled me."

Buffy pressed her lips against her long-time friend's forehead in a chaste kiss. "Sounds good. Get some sleep, Wills. You deserve it."

"How is she?"

Buffy walked into Faith's bedroom where she found the brunette slayer sitting on her bed, looking down at her hands. At the sound of Buffy's voice, her head jerked up to greet her sister-Slayer.

"I think she'll be fine," Faith said hesitantly. "She's sleeping right now. I'm gonna call a doctor from the care center to drop by in the morning though, just in case."

Buffy nodded, not really sure what to say. "That sounds like a good idea."

Faith didn't respond. She continued to sit on the mattress looking lost and exhausted.

"Well, um, I'm gonna get to sleep," Buffy said, jerking her head in the direction of the room she'd been using since Willow had arrived in England.

Faith's gaze flicked up from the floor. "Do you think maybe you'd want to stay in here?" The vulnerability in her voice shook Buffy to the core. Despite her misgivings, she couldn't deny Faith this. She couldn't handle seeing her look and act so inexplicitly lost.

Buffy wordlessly nodded and took the time to close the door.

Faith offered the other woman a small smile of gratitude when she turned back around. "Thanks," she said gruffly. "I know it's weird, but after everything we saw today, I just really don't want to be alone." She hung her head again. "It's stupid," she growled, wallowing in self-pity. "_Kate's _the one who went through this traumatic thing, and I'm acting like a baby."

Buffy frowned. She sat down next to Faith and gently lifted the other slayer's chin to meet her eyes. "You're being too hard on yourself," she said in a low, soothing burr. "You were strong for Kate when she needed you to be."

Something in Buffy's words caused the dark-haired slayer to choke up. Her shoulders slumped and started to shake as she bit back tears. Buffy's heart sank into her stomach at the sight.

"Hey…" she whispered. She reached out a comforting hand and stroked her fingertips along Faith's smooth cheekbones. Her fingers continued to travel as if on their own accord, and Buffy found herself stroking her thumb along Faith's lower lip. She leaned in closer to the woman who seemed to be unraveling before her eyes. "It's okay," she soothed. "Let me be strong for you."

Faith's dark eyes closed and her shoulders visibly relaxed. Buffy leaned in further. She tentatively brushed her lips against Faith's, acutely aware of how lately it had been _she _who initiated these intimate touches. She pushed the confusing revelation out of her mind and pressed her mouth more fully against Faith's.

Buffy touched a hand to Faith's shoulder. She felt Faith shudder beneath her light stroke. Faith's mouth began to move more aggressively against Buffy's. The blonde moaned appreciatively when she deepened the kiss.

Faith's fingertips grazed along the bottom hem of Buffy's tank top. She toyed with the material and looked up into Buffy's hazel eyes, seeking permission. Buffy chewed on her lower lip and nodded, wordlessly giving the other woman the approval she sought.

Faith slid her hands more fully beneath the top, not removing the camisole just yet. Buffy's abdomen twitched and tensed under the soft, yet confident touch. When Faith raked her short nails down the flat stomach, Buffy dropped her head and groaned.

Faith's hands traveled further up to cup braless, yet perky breasts. Buffy's nipples poked into her as she palmed the pliable flesh and gently squeezed. Buffy quietly groaned at the delicious pressure. Faith rolled the hardened nipples between her fingers and tugged, pulling another low moan from Buffy's throat.

Buffy yanked her tank top off, baring her upper torso to the dark-haired woman. Faith's nostrils flared, turned on even more by Buffy's impatience. Only too happy to give the beautiful slayer more, she dipped her head and pulled a stiff nipple into her mouth.

Buffy's eyes clenched close as a wave of arousal lapped at her insides. She twisted her fingers in Faith's loose, chaotic hair and pulled her head closer, encouraging the other woman's oral attentions.

Buffy allowed the younger slayer to gently push her back onto the mattress. She scooted up towards the headboard. Not wanting to leave any doubts about what she wanted, she lifted her backside off of the mattress and pulled her yoga pants and underwear off in one fluid motion, rendering herself completely naked.

Faith's eyes darkened and she allowed herself a moment to rake her gaze over the elder slayer's trim, feminine form. She drank in the modest curves, the flawless skin.

Buffy chewed on her lower lip and looked up at Faith with desperate hazel eyes. "Please, Faith," she quietly pled.

Faith shook her head once as if shaking the cobwebs off her brain. She flashed Buffy a quick, reassuring smile and quickly shed of her own clothing, leaving it in a pile near the foot of the bed.

"Come here," Buffy urged.

When Faith got close enough, Buffy grabbed at her with a deceptively strong leg, wrapping her limb around the other woman's waist. She pulled Faith down on top of her body and their cores met in a delicious collision. Both slayers groaned loudly, and Faith couldn't help but roll her hips a few times to grind her naked sex into Buffy's. She smiled as she heard the shortness of Buffy's gasps every time their liquid centers met together. But not wanting it to be over so soon, Faith reluctantly pulled away.

Buffy made a small whine of protest that endeared her to Faith even more. The Boston slayer licked her lips and broadly grinned down at the reclined, naked blonde. "We've got all night," she promised the pouting woman.

Faith positioned herself between Buffy's parted thighs and began to place small, butterfly light kisses in between her lower thighs and on her knees. Every few kisses, she'd bring her teeth out to nip at the skin, not biting hard enough to leave behind a mark, but hard enough that it sent a bolt of pleasure to the wriggling slayer.

Buffy wanted to scream in frustration. Faith was taking her time, relearning her body since their first time together in San Francisco. Admittedly, it felt good, but it wasn't nearly enough.

Buffy grabbed onto Faith's wrists and rolled them over so she was now perched on top. Faith stared up with dark, inquisitive eyes and Buffy placed a gentle, reassuring kiss on her lips. She intertwined their fingers and brought their conjoined hands to either side of Faith's head.

Faith moaned when Buffy unexpectedly ground her hips into her, pressing her down into the mattress. Buffy repeated the slow, but aggressive movement, this time dragging a small cry from her own lips.

Buffy sat up straighter, perched on top with the brunette straddled between her thinly muscled thighs. She placed her hands on Faith's breast plate for balance and began rolling her hips. She reached between their bodies and spread herself with two fingers. Faith craned her neck to see where Buffy's hand had traveled, and her eyes bulged at the sight.

"Fuck, B," she groaned as if in pain. "That's so fucking hot."

Buffy panted again, her breathing coming in short, staccato bursts as she continued to grind in small circles against the other girl's pelvic bone.

"Yes, B," Faith encouraged. "Get yourself off. Come for me." She held firmly onto the other woman's hips, but allowed Buffy to set the pace and the angle.

Buffy made a strangled noise in the back of her throat. Her head drooped with her chin resting against her breastplate. "So close," she gasped.

Faith's hands left her hips, sliding up her torso and settling on her gently bouncing breasts. She rolled the blonde's light pink nipples between her fingers again, wanting so much to capture one in her mouth, but not wanting to interrupt Buffy's orgasm.

Buffy released a series of frustrated whimpers and mewls as she ground harder still against the woman between her thighs. Finally, she let out a tortured groan that sounded close to exhaustion. Her grinding slowly came to a stop, and she sat straddling Faith with a dazed look on her beautiful, yet slightly sweaty features. After a moment of gathering her breath and her thoughts, she slid back down on top of Faith, so their bodies were perfect mirrors of the other.

"I thought I said we had all night?" Faith grinned against Buffy's slightly sweaty forehead. She placed a tender kiss near the blonde's temple where her hair was slightly matted.

"I got impatient," Buffy mumbled against Faith's skin.

"You tired now?" Faith teased.

Buffy lifted her head and gave the brunette a challenging glare. "I was just getting warmed up."

"Buffy?"

"Mmm?" The elder slayer's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her name. She twisted beneath the duvet to face the woman lying beside her in bed.

Faith's dark eyes searched Buffy's face. "There's…there's something I have to tell you." Her voice sounded raspier than usual.

Buffy reflexively opened her mouth to respond with a witty retort about doing other things with their mouths besides talking. But upon seeing the grave look splayed across Faith's features, she remained silent.

Faith mashed her lips between her teeth.

"Faith?" Buffy gently prodded. Her somber mood intensified along with a gnawing in the pit of her stomach with Faith's continued hesitance.

"That night when Willow first arrived," Faith finally started. She softly raked her fingers through Buffy's hair. "When she told us what was on those files," she clarified, "and I left a little afterwards…"

"…to do errands," Buffy voiced. The words felt strange on her tongue even as she said them. She'd felt odd about Faith's departure that night, but had believed if it were for something significant, Faith would have told her. She'd even called her that night to check up on her when she'd been gone longer than she'd originally suggested.

Faith nodded. "My _errand_," she stated carefully," was a visit to Quentin Travers' hospital room." She shut her eyes at the memory – at the memory of the injured man's helpless struggle – at the memory of his hands uselessly clawing at her wrists as she smothered him – at the memory of the muffled, gurgled complaints.

Faith looked back up with eyes full of regretful tears. "I'm so sorry, B," she said thickly, "I couldn't let him get away with what he'd done."

"No…." Buffy whispered. She stiffened when Faith reached for her. Seeing the blonde's reaction, Faith dropped her hands to her sides and hung her head in shame.

"Did anyone see you?" Buffy asked. Her low voice sounded strained. "Is there anyway it could be traced back to you?"

Faith was surprised by the other woman's pragmatism. She shook her head, eyes wide. "No. I, uh, got a call from the care center after it…happened. Since we checked him into the hospital, I was his emergency contact. They said he'd died in his sleep. And because it's a secret business, there won't be a police report."

Buffy nodded. Silence fell upon them like a heavy quilt, but it was neither warm nor comforting. It was hot, thick, and stifling, and Buffy felt like kicking it off before she suffocated.

"What are you thinking?" Faith quietly asked. Buffy's silence was unnerving and her face was unreadable.

"I'm thinking…" Buffy sucked in a sharp breath. "…I'm thinking that I don't really know you at all. I can see how much you've changed since Sunnydale," she said slowly, carefully. "But in probably the most important ways, you've stayed the same."

The words stung, more than Faith had expected.

"What are you doing?" Faith asked when Buffy carefully rose from the bed and began to stiffly pick up discarded clothes from the floor.

"I need some space," Buffy said, hastily pulling on her tank top. "I need some time to think about all of this." She fluffed her hair out of the spaghetti straps. "And I can't do that when I'm surrounded by your scent."

"That's fair," the brunette sighed. She sat up in bed and pulled the sheets around her body. She watched as Buffy gathered her clothes and her thoughts.

Buffy silently pulled on the rest of her clothes and made her way to the bedroom door. But before she could leave, she felt a hot hand close around her wrist. Faith, naked, stood beside her.

"Promise me you won't make any life-altering decisions tonight?"

Buffy stared hard into those dark chocolate eyes, and she felt afraid. There was so much unguarded emotion – so much _need_. She'd never seen the younger woman like this – never known her to need anything or anybody. But instead of it confirming Faith's genuine intensions when it came to wanting a real relationship, it only solidified Buffy's earlier conviction.

She had no idea who this woman was anymore.

TBC


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34:**** Fight or Flight**

_**Previously**_

Faith traced her fingertips along the delicate bones of Buffy's hands. The smaller slayer twitched, but she didn't wake up. Faith continued making light circles on the insides of her wrists. Buffy's lips parted slightly, and a quiet sigh slipped out.

Faith stilled her movements and watched the gentle rise and fall of the other woman's chest as she slept beside her. She closed her eyes when a sensation washed over her. She felt so happy, so satisfied, and her heart was so full, she felt as if her chest might burst.

But as happy as she was, she was also terrified. She could mess this up. She could lose this perfect feeling.

_**Now**_

Faith knocked on the closed bedroom door, pulling a hollow sound from the solid wood. She paused, listening for any indications of life on the other side of the barrier.

"B?" she called out as she knocked again. "You in there?"

She hadn't seen the blonde slayer since the previous evening – at least, not since her guilty admission and Buffy's hasty retreat from her bedroom. She was trying to be sensitive and give the other girl some time and space, but she didn't want Buffy to completely stonewall her. Faith was beginning to regret telling the blonde that she'd been responsible for Quentin Travers' death. They'd made so much progress over the past few weeks, only for it to be shattered with one confession.

She gingerly tried at the handle. Finding the door unlocked, she twisted the brass knob and swung the bedroom door open. Inside the room she found a frazzled-looking blonde slayer, hastily shoving her belongings into an oversized wheeled luggage.

A sense of dread settled deep in Faith's stomach as she watched Buffy throw t-shirts and sweaters into her bags, not bothering to fold the clothes. "What…what are you doing?" she asked after a moment of standing in the doorway unacknowledged

Buffy didn't stop or look up from her task. She blew out a deep breath, pushing away some stray blonde hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. "I'm packing."

"What for?"

Buffy finally stopped and looked up. Her hazel-green eyes looked red around the edges. "I'm going back to San Francisco with Willow."

Faith swallowed hard. "When?" she managed to rasp out.

Buffy closed her eyes. "As soon as I finish packing," she said quietly. "Our flight is later today."

"No." Faith shook her head stubbornly. Her voice raised a few decibels as she was overcome with an unexpected anger. "You can't."

Hazel green eyes snapped open. "You don't have a say in this, Faith," Buffy said sternly.

"How did you even get tickets so soon?" Faith demanded.

Buffy tore her eyes away from Faith's face and resumed packing. She couldn't handle seeing the pain, anger, and betrayal splayed across the brunette woman's face. "Willow hacked into the airline's records and booked us two tickets back to the States."

Faith leaned against the door jam and folded her arms across her check. "Were you even planning on telling me you were leaving?" she said coldly, immediately feeling the betrayal. "Or would I have only found out when I discovered you were gone?"

Buffy made a frustrated noise and roughly tugged at the zipper on her wheeled suitcase. "I don't owe you an explanation," she stubbornly stated. "Certainly not after what you've done."

Faith's nostrils flared. "Why are you so upset about this?" she growled. She pushed herself off the door jam and stood up straight. "We're all better off, we're all _safer_ with Travers dead."

"There's consequences to your actions, Faith," Buffy steamed. She lugged one of the oversized suitcases off of her bed and it made a jarringly loud noise as she pulled it to the hardwood floor. "You can't play God. You don't get to choose who gets to live, and who deserves to die."

"And _you_ can't deny that there's something _real_ going on between us. You can't just run from that."

"That's not the point," Buffy barked. "I don't know you anymore!"

"Then _stay _and get to know me!" Faith insisted in a loud voice.

"I can't," Buffy snapped.

"You mean you _won_'_t_," Faith countered.

"I don't have time for word games," Buffy growled. She strode towards the taller woman. She could practically see the agitation bouncing off of Faith as she continued to stand in the doorway.

"Willow and I are leaving as soon as I finish packing," Buffy said in a voice that dared Faith to challenge her again. "Thank you for your hospitality," she curtly snapped. "I won't be bothering you again."

Her shoulder blades ached and her knuckles felt raw, but she didn't care. When life got too messy, it was either turn to the bottle or punish her body another way. Her hairline itched as beads of sweat made their way down her temples. She paused from the brutal beating she was giving to the swinging heavy bag to wipe at her forehead with the back of her arm.

"I woke up and thought I was on the set of _28 Days Later_."

Faith jerked her eyes toward the open barn door at the sound of the familiar voice. Kate stood in the doorway with a smug smile on her beautiful face. Faith grabbed onto the Everlast bag and stilled its jerking movements.

"What are you doing out here?" she panted, out of breath from the exertion. She didn't know how long she'd been out here. She just wanted to beat the crap out of something until she couldn't feel anything anymore. "You should be in bed."

Kate folded her arms across her chest. "I was bored."

Faith frowned and began lightly punching the heavy bag again. "Did the doctor say you could be out of bed already?" She quietly grunted as she connected solidly with her right fist. She could feel it jar all the way up her forearm, bicep, and into her tender shoulder.

Kate shrugged. "I appreciate you sending for her this morning, but a medical doctor doesn't know the first thing about shape shifter healing."

"She's not just a regular doctor, Kate," Faith pointed out, "she treats super naturals."

"Well, whatever." Kate pushed out a deep breath. "I was lonely up there. Where is everyone? The house is like a ghost town. I half expected to see tumbleweeds blow through the kitchen."

Faith ignored the other woman and punched a little harder, hoping to drown the sound of Kate's voice out with the louder sound of leather connecting with canvas.

Kate left the doorway to stand closer to the sparring girl. She always loved watching Faith work out in the barn, admiring the way her lean muscles rippled dangerously beneath tight tank tops. She could watch her spar all day, but she was currently annoyed at being ignored.

"Faith!" she blustered, stamping her foot on the sawdust covered ground. "I asked you a question!"

Faith punched the quivering bag once more and made an angry noise. "What do you want from me, Kate? We're not together anymore, so stop nagging me."

The shifter's features crumpled. "Where's Buffy? Where's Willow?"

Faith tore the ace wrap off her wrists and knuckles. "They left," she spat out angrily. "They're probably halfway back to San Francisco by now."

Kate's mouth dropped open. "What? Why?"

Faith threw the protective bandages on the ground. "Because I told Buffy I killed Travers."

"You did _what_? What were you thinking?" Kate shrieked.

"I don't know, okay?" Faith scowled. She sat down on a nearby bench and rubbed at her raw knuckles.

Kate released a shuddered breath to calm down. She sat down next to the slayer. A thin sheen of sweat covered Faith's skin. "Why did you tell her that, Faith?" she tried again in a calmer tone.

Faith pushed out a deep breath. "I don't _know_, Kate," she practically whined. "I got scared."

"Of what?" Kate gently countered. She rubbed one of Faith's sweaty shoulders.

Faith stared down at her bruising knuckles. "She was right there," she breathed reverently. "Everything…" She paused and looked guilty at Kate.

Kate's lips thinned. "It's okay," she said tightly. "Just tell me."

Faith sighed. "Everything I wanted – _her _– it was right there for the taking. And I choked. I panicked. I told her I killed Travers because I knew it would push her away." She dropped her head and closed her eyes, willing the tears that suddenly pricked at the corners of her eyes to stay shuttered away. "I just…I didn't think she'd _leave_."

Kate bit her bottom lip. It hurt. It hurt to see Faith so broken, and it hurt that she couldn't be the one to fix her. She had tried that once before and she'd gotten stuck in the shape of Buffy Summers.

"Maybe it's not too late," she suggested. "Maybe she hasn't left yet."

Faith shook her head sadly and looked off into the distance. "It doesn't matter."

"You have to fix this, Faith," Kate said more assertively.

The slayer quirked an eyebrow and looked askew at the shifter. "And what do you suggest I do? Rush to the airport and beg her to stay? This isn't a romantic comedy, Kate," she spat out bitterly. "This is my fucked up life."

Kate frowned at Faith's negativity. "No," she said with conviction. "You go to the airport and you tell her the truth. You tell her that _I _killed Travers."

_**Flashback**_

Quentin Travers blinked in disbelief. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe this was just a horrible, horrible nightmare. "You don't want to do this," he choked out.

Faith's lips twisted into something that resembled a leer. "No, I actually really do."

"You're better than this," the aging man tried again. "I'm a broken, withered old man. I don't have much time left anyway. You won't want this on your conscience."

Faith punched her fist into the pillow like it was a catcher's mitt. "That's too much time for me."

The desperate patriarch tried once more. "Rupert told me you'd reformed yourself!"

Faith's dark eyes flickered and her features momentarily softened before hardening once again. The dark woman brought the pillow to Travers' face and pressed down.

"Don't believe everything you hear."

"Faith! Stop!"

"Buffy?" Faith's eyes widened and she immediately pulled the pillow from Travers' face when she saw the familiar figure standing in the doorway.

"No, it's me…Kate." The small statured woman narrowed her eyes at the dark-haired slayer. "You're lucky I'm not her," she quietly growled.

Faith blinked a few times. She looked down at the pillow she clutched in her hands and grimaced. "How'd you know I'd be here?"

Kate twisted her lips. "I followed you here – I had a funny feeling when you left like that. And it looks like my hunch wasn't that far off. What do you think you're doing?" she stomped her foot.

The confusion fell away from Faith's features and was replaced with anger. "I'm doing what needs to be done."

Kate's hazel eyes widened. "By killing him?" she demanded incredulously.

"No!" Faith's face blanched. She dropped the hospital pillow to the floor and held up both hands in retreat. She dropped her voice low for only Kate to hear. "I just wanted to scare some information out of him," she whispered. "I swear."

Kate glared at Faith in a very Buffy-like-way and folded her arms across her chest.

Faith's shoulders slumped. "Okay, it doesn't look good, I know." She made a frustrated noise. "I just don't know what to do, K." She clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides as she stole a look at the recovering Watcher. Travers looked a little red in the face, but other than that appeared to be fine. "He shouldn't get to sit here in this cushy hospital as if he didn't do anything wrong," she hissed. "He shouldn't go unpunished."

Kate touched Faith's arm and the slayer looked down to where their flesh met. "I know," she stated softly. "But I can't let you do this. You've worked so hard only to go back to playing with fire. Even if you're just scaring the hell out of him, he's in no condition to take the strain."

Faith nodded glumly. "I know." She released a long, calming breath. "You're right."

The cell phone in Faith's back pocket jangled loudly. Faith gave the shape shifter an apologetic glance. She fished her phone from her pocket and grimaced when she saw her home phone number flash on the screen. "It's probably Buffy," she sighed, holding up the phone. "I should go take this in the hallway."

Kate nodded once, and Faith left the room to answer her phone, leaving the shape shifter alone with Quentin Travers. Kate glared at the man who had held her hostage and poisoned her magic against her. As tempting as it was to let Faith kill him, she knew it wasn't the right thing to do.

As if reading her thoughts, Travers made a noise in the back of his throat. "Your little girlfriend should have finished me off," he sniffed. "But it's sweet of you to think she's anything but a bad seed."

Kate narrowed her eyes at the hospitalized man. "Shut up. She's _not _a bad seed."

Travers quirked a bushy eyebrow, feeling much better now that there wasn't a pillow cutting off his oxygen supply. "Well aren't you a snappy one," he snorted. He pushed himself up into a seated position. He may have lost the use of his lower body, but he still had a sharp tongue. "Maybe your attitude is what pushed her away," he stated condescendingly. "Awful personality you have. Pathetic life there, dear girl," he clucked. "Playing second string to the world."

"God, I wish someone would have gotten rid of you," Kate snarled. She rolled her eyes at the feeble man's attempts to get a reaction from her.

"You know what's worse than Buffy Summers?" Travers pushed. A slow, satisfied smile crossed his aged features. "A copycat whore."

The shape shifter struggled to contain her anger. "You don't get to talk to me like that," she steamed. She gnashed her back teeth together. "You know _nothing_ about me."

"I know enough to know that I'm right," Travers snapped in reply. He coughed hard and brought a closed fist to his chest.

Kate's eyes brimmed with tears as she clenched white-knuckled fists to her sides in an attempt keep still.

"You and your little friends maybe think I don't deserve to breathe the air I breathe," The old man's coughs hardened even as he pounded on his breastplate a few times, looking puzzled. "But tell me this. Does a glamorized prostitute deserve to breathe this air either? At least I'm moving this world along. At least I'm leaving a legacy. The new dawn of Slayers is coming." He began to laugh through his coughs, making it tougher for him inhale.

Suddenly, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, showing the whites of his eyes. Kate took a few steps away from his hospital bed in shock. The former Watcher's body began to seize and multiple medical machines that had been monitoring his condition began to erratically blip and beep in warning.

"Uh oh," the shapeless shifter muttered.

She stood, staring helpless as the man's body shook uncontrollably on his bed. The metal frame rattled as Travers continued to convulse. Kate barely registered the handful of medical attendants who rushed into the room, ignoring her presence in order to help the patient.

Faith, seeing the commotion, rushed into the room and hovered near Kate's side. She stared back and forth between the blonde and Travers. "Kate?" she called out questioningly.

Kate's hazel-green eyes stared blankly at Quentin Travers' body. Her features didn't register that she'd heard Faith say her name.

"Kate?" Faith tried again. She grabbed the smaller woman's elbow to shake her from her thoughts. "What happened?"

_**Now**_

The brunette girl spotted her target across the airplane concourse. It had taken a little of her special abilities to get through security without a proper boarding pass, but she'd managed to do it. She straightened her shoulders and marched over to the seated blonde.

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded.

Buffy's eyes flipped up from her reading. Her hazel eyes focused on the girl hovering over her. They showed confusion and surprise, but after a moment they refocused into anger. "Kate," she growled quietly. "What are you doing here?"

The shape shifter stomped her foot slightly. "Trying to stop you from making a _huge _mistake," she steamed in a voice louder than necessary.

Buffy's eyes shifted anxiously around the concourse. Ever since 9/11, flying had made her uneasy, and international flights even more so. She'd watched far too many episodes of "Locked Abroad" for her own good.

Buffy stood and pulled Kate to the side, away from the prying eyes and ears of curious travelers. "What's going on?" she hissed under her breath. "Why are you here?"

Kate stared somberly at the Chosen One. "Faith didn't do it."

"What?"

Kate grabbed onto Buffy's arm, preparing herself for a bad reaction. She really didn't want to get punched. "She didn't kill Travers. _ I_ did."

Buffy's mouth went lax.

"I never planned for it to happen." Kate dropped her hand from Buffy's arm when it was clear the blonde slayer was at least going to stay long enough to hear her out. "He provoked me, and I got angry," she explained vaguely. "It was an accident." She bit her lower lip. "The doctors said his heart gave out from the stress."

Buffy blinked a few times, letting Kate's revelation sink in. "But why would Faith lie to about that?" she said thickly. Her mouth suddenly felt very dry. "Why would she tell me that _she _killed Travers?"

Kate sighed. It wasn't her place to share Faith's fears with Buffy. This was a conversation the two slayers had to have. She wasn't apart of that anymore.

"I think she was just trying to be a good friend the only way she knows how," she sighed as way of explanation.

"By taking the blame for a murder she didn't commit?" Buffy stated incredulously.

"I know it sounds ridiculous," Kate admitted with a tense nod. It really did, but she hoped it would satisfy Buffy long enough to give Faith a chance. "But I suppose she was just trying to make amends for falling in love with you all over again."

Buffy's hardened features softened momentarily, before sharpening again. "Then why are _you_ the one trying to stop me from leaving? If she loves me so much, why isn't_ she_ here?"

"You know her," Kate frowned. "She's stubborn."

Buffy shook her head. "That's where you're wrong. I _don't _know her. That's half the problem. Listen," she sighed and tugged on her short ponytail. "I know you're just trying to do what's right, and I can appreciate that. But this isn't your fight anymore," she pointed out. "If Faith cared for me like you suggest she does, she wouldn't have lied to me and she'd be here, instead of you."

Kate opened her mouth, but Buffy held up a hand to stop her words. "I've made my decision," she said coolly. "I'm sorry you wasted your time coming here." She spun on her heels and made her way back to Willow who was waiting just out of earshot.

Willow looked up when Buffy sat down beside her again. She glanced at Kate. The shape shifter looked disappointed about something. Willow watched as Kate turned and slowly walked away.

"What was that about?" Willow asked, not wanting to pry – even though she really wanted to.

"It's nothing," Buffy sighed. She picked up her glossy magazine and flipped back to the page she had been reading. "Just more lies."

TBC


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35:**** Chicken**

The brunette slayer pressed her hands against the large floor to ceiling windows and watched the numerous airplanes on the other side of the glass take off into the powder blue sky. She didn't know if any of the planes were Buffy's flight. Perhaps she'd been delayed. The only thing she did know was that she was too late – about an hour too late, in fact.

"I don't know why you didn't just check all of that baggage," a familiar voice rang out over the din of the crowded concourse. "Now you've got to drag it around until our flight."

"Well, you could always offer to help out, you know," came another familiar retort. "Shouldn't you use that slayer strength for something useful?"

"Yes. Cause I'm sure that's what the Powers That Be had in mind when they gave me this super human strength," came the droll retort. "To be your personal pack mule. No, thank you."

Faith turned away from the massive window and stared unbelieving at the sight of a small blonde and her redheaded friend tromping through the airport concourse, both laden with bulky carry-ons.

"You…" Faith choked out, catching Buffy and Willow's attention a few yards away. The two stopped walking when they recognized the other slayer. "You're still here," she breathed reverently.

Buffy made a face. "It's Willow's fault," she complained loudly. She strangely didn't look surprised to see the Boston slayer at the airport. "She couldn't make up her mind in the gift shop, and we missed last call."

"Well, I couldn't go back to San Francisco without a few souvenirs," Willow declared in self-defense. "Dawn and Xander would never forgive me if I came back empty-handed. And it's not like I had a lot of time to sightsee or do any shopping on this little 'vacation,'" she grumbled.

Faith blinked a few times staring back and forth at the bickering couple. She'd prayed that Buffy hadn't left yet, but her mind had already resigned itself to the fact that she'd messed up again and pushed the other slayer away – this time across the Atlantic Ocean.

"I-I thought you'd left," she said, still dumbfounded.

Buffy made a sour face. "No such luck." She stared at Faith. She couldn't believe the younger slayer was here, albeit too late if she'd actually been on her scheduled flight, but she didn't want to dwell on it.

Faith looked around awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. She shoved her hands deep into the front pockets of her dark jeans. "Oh. So, what now?"

"We're rescheduled for the next flight to San Francisco. It leaves in a few hours," Buffy shrugged. "We go back to our lives. Maybe this time, we can keep in better contact with one another."

Buffy could tell the younger slayer was trying to read her face, searching for more. When Faith failed to respond, Buffy continued: "So, again thank you for your hospitality and thanks for coming to see me off, even though it wasn't necessary," she said stiffly. "I hope you have a safe drive home."

Faith looked visibly angry, but she only nodded in response to Buffy's words.

Buffy dropped her gaze to the ground and an awkward silence passed between the two slayers. The blonde seemed to be internally battling her thoughts. Finally, in a faster than human motion, Buffy quickly wrapped her arms around Faith in a tight hug and then let go before Faith could process what had just happened.

Buffy looked suddenly bashful. "…So yeah…" she said quietly. "Bye."

With one last weak smile, Buffy turned her back on Faith and walked to rejoin Willow.

Faith watched the smaller slayer begin to walk away. She furrowed her brow at the retreating form. But before Buffy could go too far, she finally spoke: "You're as chicken shit as I am, Blondie."

Buffy froze in her place. "What did you just say?" She turned her head to look at the brunette.

Taking advantage of the fact that Buffy had momentarily abandoned her retreat, Faith walked back to the blonde until they were face to face again. "I didn't stutter," she boldly countered, "so I know you heard me just fine."

Buffy's face pinched. "That was uncalled for."

Faith quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Then what label would you slap on it then? How else would you define our situation and our actions?"

Willow looked nervously between the two heated slayers. "You two obviously need to talk. I'm just gonna…go find an Orange Julius," she murmured as she backed away.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Buffy protested, her hazel green eyes locked on the other slayer.

Faith shook her head in annoyance. "Don't be dumb."

"Don't insult my intelligence," Buffy snapped back in retort.

"Well then don't be in denial," Faith huffed.

Buffy made a frustrated noise. "Stop, Faith," she insisted. She closed her eyes rubbed her temples. "Just stop."

Faith's eyebrows rose on her unlined forehead. "Why?"

Buffy's eyes snapped open. "Because you're making this harder than it needs to be!" She mashed her lips between her teeth.

"No, I'm not," Faith countered again.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Why are you even here?" she asked, impatiently tapping her foot. "We already said our goodbyes at the farm house."

"Well, maybe I'm not ready to say goodbye." Faith ran her hands through her hair and let out a long breath. She grabbed onto Buffy's hands, seizing the girl_ and _the moment, and leaned in. "Stop acting like you've lost all faith in me - in us," she said, lowering her voice. "Cause I'm here now."

Buffy blinked a few times, but remained silent.

"I know how you work, B," Faith said in a slightly louder, more confident tone. "You're not running because of Travers. You're running because things got messy and complicated."

Not discouraged by the other girl's silence, Faith continued. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're the one person that's capable of crushing my world with a simple glance. With a single touch." A small smile filtered onto her lips. "With the act of calling out of the blue with some flimsy excuse that you need me in San Francisco to take down a rogue slayer."

Buffy's jaw went lax. "_Flimsy excuse_?" she scoffed, speaking for the first time since Faith had launched into her speech.

Faith's features lost their momentary playfulness. "It's time we stop hiding behind excuses and lies, B." She cleared her throat. She didn't want to do this, but she knew she had to. If she and Buffy were really going to explore this thing between them, she knew they both had to enter with honesty and openness.

She cleared her throat again. "You probably won't believe me now," she started, "but I didn't kill Travers."

"I know," Buffy said flatly. She carefully folded her arms across her modest chest and cocked her hip to one side.

"Huh?"

"Kate told me."

Faith's features crumpled. Maybe she'd been wrong about Buffy's feelings towards her this entire time. "And yet you're here at the airport?" she questioned. Her heart began to ache in its cavity in her chest. "You're still planning on leaving?"

Buffy frowned. "Even if you didn't kill Travers, you still lied to me," she pointed out.

Faith sighed, frustrated. "I know. And I'm sorry. I was afraid, and dumb, and I should have never lied to you." She raked her fingers through her hair. "But I need you to call the shots and tell me what you're thinking…how you're feeling…about _us._ Because if it were up to me, you would have been mine from the moment we met." She sighed again, her shoulders slumping. "Granted, I would have probably managed to fuck it up someway."

"That's not..." Buffy's eyes widened. "You really felt like that? Even back then?" Her eyes shimmered with something that resembled hope.

Faith nodded, unashamed. "You're a pain in the ass to love, Buffy Summers. But I can't help the way I feel." She set her jaw hard, as if daring the blonde to challenge the validity of her emotions. "So... for the second time, _what now?"_

Buffy sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and began to chew. "I have to go back to America. It's where I belong," she said softly. "This…this isn't my world," she said gesturing to their surroundings. "You, Angel, England…that's _your_ thing now, not mine."

"I don't want to lose you," Faith rasped thickly. "If you leave, we go back to being acquaintances."

"Or we could slow down and try this over again, one step at a time," Buffy countered.

"With an ocean separating us?" Faith huffed.

Buffy slightly winced. "Well, there's always Skype, right? Unless you come back to America with me."

Faith faltered, not trusting her ears. "Are you…are you _serious_?"

The small blonde frowned. "I mean, I've never used the program before, but it can't be that hard, right? I could get Dawn or Willow to show me how to use it. I'm a fast learner –."

Faith held up a hand, pausing the other woman's words. "No-no…that's not what I mean. Not about you and technology. You're horrible with that stuff," she said flippantly. "That's a given. I mean about…you wanting to…try a-a _relationship_ with me?" She stumbled over her words. "Are we finally having 'The Talk?' Is that what this is?"

Buffy swallowed hard. "I guess so."

Faith's face grew more solemn. "Are you serious about me coming back to the States with you?"

"I—forget I said that." Buffy's features crumpled with the memory of her hasty words. "That's not exactly slowing things down, is it?" she sighed. "More like jumping back into the fire."

Faith nodded. "So you go back to America," she said flatly, without emotion. "And I stay here."

Buffy frowned. She felt inexplicably guilty for still leaving, but she knew it was the right thing to do. "England was never meant to be permanent. We both knew it would end."

Faith dropped her eyes to the patterned carpeting, not sure what else to say. She couldn't make Buffy stay, she knew that. She only looked up when she felt Buffy's hand brush along her fingertips. She stared into wet, hazel-eyes.

"But just because our time together in England has come to an end," Buffy said gently, "it doesn't mean that _we _have to end. One step at a time," she reminded the other woman. "We start over. And this time, with no teenage hormones and no shape-shifter girlfriends."

Faith sucked in a sharp breath and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Fuck, B." She laughed at herself, embarrassed by her vulnerability. "You certainly have a way with words."

Buffy smirked. "What can I say? You're a pain in the ass to love, Faith Lehane."

A sudden flash of panic spread across Buffy's face.

"What's wrong?" Faith asked.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to tell the gang…about us," Buffy sheepishly admitted. "Not right away, at least. I mean they kind of already know that I, uh, _swing that way_ because of the Satsu thing. But this is all…a little overwhelming."

Faith nodded, understanding. "Just promise me that if we really do this, it's gonna be out in the open eventually." She scrunched up her nose. "I'm not gonna be some dirty little secret."

Buffy released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and gave the younger slayer a lopsided grin. "Okay. I promise," she agreed.

Faith's lips twisted and her dark eyes quickly scanned their surroundings. "So I guess this means I can't kiss you right now?"

Buffy flicked her eyes to where Willow had last been standing. The Wicca, however, was nowhere to be seen, no doubt in search of her elusive Orange Julius or Cinnabun. A shy smile spread across the Chosen One's face.

"I suppose a little kiss wouldn't hurt."

Faith lightly wrapped her arms around Buffy's lithe waist and tilted her head down. She flicked her tongue across her lower lip, dampening the skin. Her eyes fluttered close and she leaned further in, readying herself for the feeling of Buffy's mouth against her own. Instead of Buffy's intimate embrace, however, she was rewarded with a slug to her right shoulder.

Her eyes flipped open in alarm at the unexpected impact. "What the…?" she questioned.

Buffy stomped her foot. "I almost forgot! What took you so long to get here?" She slapped the brunette's arm in mock anger. "You were like an hour late! I could have been halfway to America by the time you finally got here!"

The other slayer's features revealed her confusion and then revelation. "Wait…were you…._waiting _for me to show up?" Faith stated incredulously. "Is that why you missed your flight?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and scoffed. "If I wanted to go back to America so badly do you really think I would have let Willow take so long in the souvenir shop?"

Faith licked her lips to keep from laughing. "I thought we weren't lying to each other anymore."

Buffy grimaced. "Sorry. Last one. I promise." Her nostrils flared. "So where _were _you?" she questioned again.

Faith rolled her eyes and grinned cheekily. "You wouldn't believe how slow those people at the airline ticket counter are. I kept looking at the clock and scowling as they took their sweet ass time finding me a seat. It's like I'm starring in my very own rom-com."

Buffy blinked once. "You actually bought a ticket to San Francisco?"

Faith ducked sheepishly and felt a hot blush creep to the tips of her ears. "Well, I couldn't just let you go without a fight."

The blonde beamed at the gesture, but then her smile fell away and was replaced with concern and guilt. "Do you think that you'll be able to get some type of credit on your ticket? I feel bad making you spend all that money. First the necklace and the dress and now an international flight..."

Faith couldn't help the leer that slid so easily onto her lips. "Gimme a little kiss and all is forgiven."

Buffy smirked, as if she'd expected that response. She stood on her tiptoes and quickly pressed her lips against Faith's left cheek.

Faith brought a hand up to her face where Buffy's mouth had just been. "What was that, Grandma?" she lightly complained.

Buffy's hazel-green eyes twinkled mischievously. "Your_ little kiss_."

"You're a _little ass_, Summers," Faith chuckled.

"Let's go find Willow," Buffy cheerfully suggested. "I gotta make sure she doesn't overdose on Orange Julius."

Faith snorted. "Not possible."

Buffy quirked an eyebrow. "You've tried, huh?"

The brunette's voice lowered sheepishly. "Maybe."

Faith smiled when Buffy leaned into her shoulder, seeking out some kind of physical contact, as they went off to find Willow in the busy airport. A non-refundable plane ticket was a small price to pay for a chance at starting over.

+++++++++

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

**Epilogue (part I)**

_London, England_

_As with every part of our lives, chapters must have a beginning and an end, leaving us with the decision of starting our next adventure or bringing us to our grand finale. This night was it for her; she no longer had a place in this world. It was time to let go._

_Suggested Listening: "Born to Die" - Lana Del Rey_

The brunette woman stalked around the pole in the center of the stage. She held onto the bar tightly with her right arm, bicep muscles tensing and flexing as she spun effortlessly around the pole. Every aspect about this life, by now, had simply become second-nature to her, dozens of routines and moves that have long been embedded into her muscle memory with ease. This place had evolved into her home over the course of time; an interesting path due to her _wonderful gift._

Her darkened orbs glossed over the crowded room and it was only on a few sparing occasions that she would hold the gaze with an ex-patron, a regular, or a longtime co-worker. Her eyes came to rest on one particularly unmistakable face and she nearly faltered. Familiar chocolate eyes gazed back and a wistful dimpled smile seemed to part the crowds around the elevated stage. But after years of the practiced, emotionless mask she wore while performing, she shoved away the surprise she felt without missing a beat. Every step was an intimate stride, every bend was to lure a patron into a private fantasy, and every glance was only their secret to keep. With the familiar song-end near, she pulled herself up onto the metal post for one last time. Flipping herself upside down, she wrapped her legs around the rod. Using the momentum from the initial swing, she slowly loosen her grip on the pole and spun. Her body spiraled into a graceful descent until her back stilled from contact, and her hair splayed across the cool stage.

The song cross-faded into another, and the stage lights changed. Her vision was still blurred from the twirl as her eyes briefly fluttered shut to remember the first time she had done this, the memory, almost nostalgic. It wasn't long until she got off the floor and stood up tall. The watchful crowd burst into a loud mixture of verbal appraisals and a barrage of clapping. It was her moment of glory. Smiling out at the shadowed faces which surrounded her, Kate blew a kiss and gave a few weak waves as she ducked her head. She held a hand over her eyes, shielding out the unforgiving spotlight, to look for the one face she hadn't expected to see tonight. But instead of seeing the memorable smirk, the table was now vacated. Kate couldn't tell if what she felt was relief or remorse. With the spotlight fading from where she stood, she took the opportunity to approach the clients who occupied the stage, giving each of them a hug before sauntering off into the back dressing room. She had never ended a show in such a manner, and in a way she was thankful she would never do it again.

The employee's dressing room was actually one of her favorite areas in the entire establishment. It was there that she felt like a starlet. Thinking about it, the room was probably staged that way for the girls to forget what it was that they were really there to do. She was quick to grab the long peacoat from the back of her chair and place it on. Bundled, Kate sat before the broadway-lighted vanity mirror. She stared at herself for a brief moment before scrutinizing every detail of the space before her. The inner edge of the mirror caught her attention, and she couldn't help but smile. Lifting her hand, she delicately traced her fingers over a few older pictures that she had jammed into the frame of the mirror. There were a couple of her and the other girls she worked with, a photobooth strip of her and Faith, and one particular one of her before she came to be a stripper. She couldn't help but have a light laugh at the innocence of the young girl that stared back in the picture.

Kate was startled from her thoughts as a pair of toned, tanned arms wrapped around her shoulders and chest. The brunette smiled to herself at the familiar embrace; she didn't need to avert her gaze from looking at the old photos to know that it was her girlfriend.

"You enjoy that?" Kate's voice rasped in a low whisper.

"It would have been better if it was a private show," Morgan responded with honesty. A grin crept onto her lips as she brought a free hand up to expose the side of Kate's neck. Lowering her full lips, she feathered kisses along Kate's defined collarbone, trailing all the way up to behind the brunette's ear. "I'd forgotten how demanding your stage presence is. Mesmerizing."

Kate blushed at the response. It was unlike her to be flustered by any compliment. Having to hear it daily from her clients, the words felt hollow when it was followed with money shoved between her breasts or some other part of her outfit. But this, this was _real_, and she knew it. Regaining control of herself, from being a complete sap, she shied a playful grin at her lover's reflection. "I'm also demanding in be-"

It was in that moment that the back exit door slammed wide open with a hard metal thud. A stout and hefty man in a tailored vest with slacks, walked inside the room with a grandiose smile as greeting. It was Henry, the owner of the strip club, that had interrupted them.

The older gentleman's voice bellowed in the dressing space. "My gorgeous angels." With outstretched arms, he was quick to embrace both women in an attempted bearhug. "You were brilliant tonight, Kat!"

He soon released his hold on both Kate and Morgan, taking a step back to look at the women that he had watched grow over the years. Deep down, he was happy to be able to see the twinkle that was still in both of their eyes.

"Thank you." Kate smiled at the warm words which came from the proud man before her. And in return, he showed her the same tenderness before looking over at Morgan square in the eye.

His expression was fast to change between the two girls. Henry's face went stern as a deep frown-line settled in. "You're still stealin' her from me?"

Morgan couldn't take the forced exterior seriously and chuckled. "That's the plan, O'Henry."

With a long sigh, Henry turned his face off to the side and made a feeble effort in muffling the sound of a sniffle. "Then you two better go before I start cryin' or somethin' silly." After a forced cough, he returned his stare back at them with what looked like tear-brimmed eyes in the making. Exhaling a deep breath, he placed on his biggest smile and pulled out an envelope from the inside of his vest. "I got me a room full of wankers to deal with after that show."

Kate giggled at the words. "Thank you for giving me tonight."

He shook his head at her words and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "No,_ thank you_." The older man allowed for another lengthy breath to escape his lips, as his eyes darted between the two women. "You two remember to come back to visit the family soon, you hear?"

"Of course." Kate couldn't help but feel her own eyes start to swell at this parting. She hadn't thought that it would be as bittersweet as it was.

"Here's the final payment." His plump fingers placed the envelope onto the counter before Kate. He braved one last smile at both of his girls before spinning on the balls of his polished leather shoes to walk through the employee's club entrance. Without a glance back at them, both girls heard him speak: "This isn't goodbye, so don't dare say it." In a loud bang, the club door slammed shut behind him, causing a gust of warmer air to graze their skin.

Kate gently took a hold of the white enclosure and looked through its contents. There was a card that was signed by everyone from the establishment and the last of her earnings from doing what had been her life for the better part of a decade.

Morgan returned her arms into a more intimate clasp of her seated girlfriend. "You don't have to take that. I have more than enough saved to take care of the both of us for awhile."

Kate smirked at the comment. "Oh, how quickly you forget that I was a favorite here, just as you were."

"Correction, _trying _to forget that," Morgan sighed into the back of Kate's head. A comfortable silence fell between them as Kate fiddled with the flap on the opened envelope.

"I'm actually thinking that I should give it to Faith. Pay her back for everything - expenses and all." The brunette crooked a smile.

Morgan refocused her stare towards Kate's reflection. "Paying back your extremely rich ex-girlfriend." She brushed the pad of her thumb over Kate's mouth and was rewarded with a soft kiss. "Just a day in the life of dear Kate."

"She _did _save me." It served as a good reminder for her to be grateful for the people in her life.

Morgan playfully tapped Kate's nose. "And for that I am grateful." The tanned girl let go of her hold entirely and stepped off to the side of the seat. "C'mon. Let's go and pick up the last of your things so we can finally leave."

Kate hopped off of her seat. She didn't move from the spot as she chewed her bottom lip. After some hesitation, her words came tumbling out. "Are you sure you want this?"

"What are you talking about?" There was confusion etched into the slightly taller woman's facial features.

Kate took a pause before she spoke again, mindful of what she was about to say and also anticipating for a change of heart. "For us to jump right back into this... into _us_?"

Morgan turned to face the love of her life and cupped her face with all the care that she could place into one touch. "I left you once, and I regretted it every single day that I didn't fight harder for us." She dipped her head to capture the set of lips that hovered beneath hers. "I'm still sorry for that..." As the generally confident woman struggled with her words, Kate nodded in the acceptance of her apology. "Give me time, and I'll show you how I feel."

"You were always awful with expressing your emotions," Kate teased.

Morgan lips twitched as a scowl was fast to creep onto her face. "I still wish your friends would have rang me the moment that they found you."

Kate arched a shaped eyebrow in amusement. "I don't think that would have ended well."

She matched her girlfriend's amusement with curiosity. "Oh?"

Kate looked down at the floor and gave a knowing nod. She bit her bottom lip once again and spun around to face the vanity. "You can barely stand it when I hurt myself on accident." Her long arms stretched over the bare counter and one by one she removed all of her pictures; it was the last of her belongings, everything else had been moved into Morgan's car. "You would have raised bloody hell if you saw me at my worst."

Morgan nodded in a silent understanding and kissed Kate once again on the side of the head.

Dropping the photos into her purse, Kate furrowed her brow. "I'm not fragile. You can kiss me-"

"I know. We'll get to that soon enough." Morgan's words were followed with a playful wink as she signaled toward the back exit. "I'll go warm up the car."

In a few long strides, Morgan left the building and Kate was once again left alone. The brunette grabbed her purse and gave the room one last glance over while listening to the background rhythm that pulsed through the walls. Kate pulled her eyes from her surroundings and opened her purse in search of a recent photo that she had brought of her being hugged by Morgan. Upon finding it, she searched for a pen. The retrieval of that was, however, not as easy, nor successful, and she made due with lipstick. Before marring the image with the crimson shade, Kate smiled at the newly-made memory and the future promise of more to come.

"_Pictures_," she muttered to herself in a soft laugh. "They do say a thousand words."

After a few quick scribbles to sign the photo with 'XOXO - Kate & Morgan,' she placed it snuggly into the mirror's frame. It was then that she took those few steps to the back door and smiled back weakly into the empty room.

"It's been fun," she whispered before exiting.

++++++++++++++++++

_Somewhere in India_

Grace Travers looked up at the sound of a brisk knock on her office door. In the doorway stood her assistant, Gregory. He was a tall, thin man with a sharp mind for details and a fondness for designer shoes.

"William McGrady is on his way, ma'am."

Grace nodded once. "Thank you, Gregory. Will you see to it that he's shown to the gymnasium when he arrives? Oh, and please make up some tea for our guest as well. He's been traveling extensively lately, and I'm sure would appreciate some English hospitality."

Gregory nodded his assent. "Of course, ma'am," he clipped.

When her assistant left her office, Grace stood from the mahogany desk she'd had shipped from England to the India office. She straightened a few piles of papers on the desk top and smoothed her hands down the lines of her fitted pencil skirt. Her kitten heels clicked sharply against the tiled floor as she made her way out of her office and toward the stadium gymnasium via the skywalk that connected the buildings of their modest production.

Outside, the hot sun beat through the glass windows that encased the skywalk. Grace paused just long enough to inspect the vast nothingness beyond the pane glass. Since joining the India office, she had had little opportunity, or desire, to see much of the foreign country. The sun was hot, oppressive, and she had far more pressing duties to concern her with instead of playing tourist.

The woman's knees buckled when she felt a strong force wrap itself around her legs. She looked down, first in shock, and then in good humor, when she recognized the thin arms thrown around her. A small child of nearly six years hugged the elder woman's legs. The tiny girl looked up, her face hidden behind a curtain of light brown hair. Grace reached down and gently brushed the straight strands away from the child's face to reveal two shockingly green eyes peering up at her.

"Can I go play with Arthur, Miss Grace?" The girl grinned deeply, showing off two perfectly placed dimples.

The aging woman smiled with the doting patience of an indulgent grandmother. "Yes, of course, Love. Just be a little easy on him today. He's still a little sore from playing yesterday."

The girl's grin faded to something resembling resolve. "Yes, Miss," she nodded solemnly. "I promise."

"That's a good girl," Grace smiled warmly. "Now go have fun."

The young girl flashed another smile before swiftly turning on her heels and running down the remainder of the skywalk. Her white sneakers squeaked to a stop when she reached the staircase that led to the open gymnasium below.

The girl paused at the heavy metal door that led to the stairwell. "Are you coming, too, Miss Grace?" she hollered down the skywalk hallway.

"In a bit, Child," Grace confirmed. She traversed the rest of the skywalk, but instead of following the young girl down the stairwell, she stopped to stand in the lofted balcony that overlooked the ground floor gymnasium. From this vantage point she could observe the small girl without interfering with her training.

She leaned her hands against the iron railing and watched as Arthur, one of the hired trainers, hesitantly but obediently pulled on padded protective gear so that the young girl wouldn't have to completely hold back during their "play."

Arthur and the child circled each other on the thick blue wrestling mat. The trainer looked anything but confident as the diminutive girl launched herself forward, her tiny fists clenched and ready to strike with pinpoint precision.

"Is that her? She's fantastic."

Grace turned at the sound a familiar, deep voice. "Hello, William," she greeted briskly. "I'm glad you could finally make it."

The man subtly swelled his chest. "It's been busy at the other labs," he said gruffly. "You know this."

Grace pursed her lips. "Plus you wanted to wait to see if she'd outlive the others."

William cleared his throat awkwardly. "Can you blame me? I was honestly starting to lose hope in our project. Especially after some of the others..." He trailed off.

The woman tried to smile agreeably, but she knew it looked more like a grimace on her lips. She tried hard to not think about the girls who had come before. They had all known it would take time to perfect the DNA splicing - to find the perfect combination. But she had underestimated just how long, and how many "subjects" it would take, to find the right balance. Most hadn't lived past infancy. Those who did somehow survive, however, were subject to a litany of mental and physical defects. That is, until _her_.

"What's her name?" William asked, pulling Grace from gruesome thoughts best left buried.

"Starbucks."

William quirked a skeptical eyebrow. "You're kidding?"

Grace allowed herself a small smile. "The scientist in charge of her DNA strain has a sense of humor and a caffeine addiction." The smile fell from her lips. "And after a while it felt too morbid to continue giving the girls proper names."

From below their lofted position, Grace could hear the distinct sound of dead-weight slamming across the floor mats, followed by a man's groan. The middle-aged woman shifted her attention to the floor below and watched as Starbucks crouched down and gently swept a few of Arthur's errant hairs off to the side. The matured woman had to suppress the smile that she felt tugging at her lips before clearing her throat loudly; she was proud. Starbucks was becoming everything that they had hoped for and more.

"Young lady," she boomed from above. "I thought I said to go easy."

Starbucks snapped her head up to gaze up at the matronly figure. "I did," she lightly protested. "Arthur was fine yesterday when I did that." Her small fingers lightly tapped at his protective head gear. "But I think he's tired today, Miss Grace."

"Would you be a dear and get Doctor Kobbs to make sure Arthur is still in good shape?" The young girl nodded and scurried out of sight.

"Grace, there is nothing less than impressive about her," William unnecessarily fed her ego.

"I know. I've watched her since the day she was created. She is the future."

William tapped his fingers against the railing. "Agreed, but you and I both know that there is no future until the past has a final nail in its coffin." His handsome face twisted into an ironic smirk. "In our case, maybe more than just a couple of nails, seeing as these girls seem to have multiple lives."

Grace allowed herself an indulgent laugh despite the truth behind Williams' words. No one under the Council's employ had ever imagined that the Originals would have such staying power. It had made the decision to use their DNA to create an independent slayer-line all the more convincing.

Starbucks returned to their line of vision, pulling the office physician by the hand. Arthur had now returned to his feet and sheepishly pulled off the protective gear.

Seeing her favorite trainer back on his feet, Starbucks' face lit up. "Can we go again, Arthur?" she eagerly asked. The man's eyes widened in terror.

"Starbucks," Grace gently called from above. "Arthur's earned himself a little break. Why don't you go to the art room and color for mental stimulation."

The young girl nodded. "For mental stimulation," she echoed. Not needing further instruction, she rushed back out of view. The girl never seemed to walk anywhere. It was as if her body knew her time was limited and wanted to make the most of every moment.

"Everyday that passes, she's more of a miracle," Grace noted reverently.

"But she could still stop breathing at any moment," William pragmatically observed.

Grace nodded solemnly. "Yes, but the research team is monitoring her around the clock and they've predicted that we'll have a better indication of her life expectancy when she turns 6. We're almost there."

William looked sideways at the tailored woman. He and Grace Travers had history. He knew she kept her emotions in check. Something about this girl, however, had pierced her armor. "The investors are going to want to meet her soon," he cautiously remarked. "They're getting impatient."

"She's not ready yet," Grace said sternly.

"Damn it, Grace. You can't coddle her forever," William chastised. "These people have invested _millions of dollars _to this project. They want to see physical results. They're not going to be satisfied with a Sally Struthers adopt-a-child postcard."

Grace's thin lips set in a hard line. "Soon," she uttered, daring William to challenge her further. "Soon we'll know if Starbucks' DNA is stable enough."

Knowing the other woman had put an end to that conversation, William tread onto even more sensitive territory. "Have you heard any news regarding your brother?"

Grace visibly stiffened. "No. Not for some time," she said tersely. "I was informed of the fire at the family home, of course, but nothing beyond that. His body was never found."

William tapped his fingers against his lips in thought. "And you still think one of the Originals is responsible?"

The woman's shoulders sagged. "I don't know, William," she said tiredly. She pinched at the bridge of her nose and sighed. She needed a day off. "What I _do _know is that Quentin let them live for far too long." She smiled wistfully. "And now it seems we might actually need them alive for a little longer. Sentimental bastard," she said, shaking her head. "He always did have a soft spot for those two."

+++++++++++

_TBC_


	37. Chapter 37

**Epilogue (Part II)**

_San Francisco, California_

Buffy opened up the white laptop on the desk in her back room and waited for the machine to whir to life. She was privately proud of how her computer skills had improved over the past few months. Both Willow and Dawn had shown great patience in acclimating the blonde slayer to the nuances of recent internet technologies; she could now log onto Skype without anyone holding her hand. Which was a good thing, because when she talked to Faith online, she typically needed the use of both of her hands.

For typing.

Although Faith had once suggested they make "better use" of their video chat time, Buffy had never felt brave enough - or drunk enough - to participate. Plus, both Dawn and Xander were generally just in the next room, and something about that imagery did nothing for Buffy's libido.

Buffy logged on to Skype and mindlessly hit the appropriate screen name and button to call the slayer located across the Atlantic Ocean. The calling chimes rang through her laptop speakers, and she hummed a wordless tune while she waited for Faith to pick up. When the call continued to go unanswered, however, Buffy canceled the connection. She frowned and stared at her girlfriend's screen name in her list of contacts. Actually, it was the_ only _name on her list since she had no other reason to use the chat program.

"She's never late for date night," Buffy murmured to herself.

She sighed and stared at the screen name, mentally willing the little green and white icon to appear next to Faith's name. After waiting a few more unsuccessful minutes, she opened the laptop's calendar program to check on the date. Maybe she'd lost track of time and it was the wrong day of the week - it wouldn't have been the first time she'd done that. Buffy frowned deeper when the computer confirmed it was indeed Friday night - date night.

Buffy could feel herself starting to become annoyed. She could be doing any number of other things on a Friday night instead of sitting in her bedroom, staring at a computer screen. True, it probably wouldn't be a very exciting thing - probably just watching Reality TV with Dawn and Xander and getting jealous of their non-long-distance relationship. But it was the principle that mattered - she and Faith had agreed that on Friday nights at 9pm, California time, they would spend time together. Faith had volunteered to be the one with the strange hours since, as a lady of leisure, she didn't have a day-job to attend. But no matter what, barring an apocalypse, of course, they were supposed to set that time aside for each other.

Before she could work herself into a blind rage, however, Faith's screen name flashed online and Buffy immediately received a chat request from the girl in question. She clicked on the "Video" option, and Faith's face filled her laptop screen.

"You're-"

"Late," Faith interrupted. She nodded. "I know, B." Her face looked thoughtful. "I feel like in another life, I've done this date night thing before..."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Is this the part where you impress me with all your past conquests?"

"You know you're the only one for me, B," Faith easily admitted. "Besides," she noted with a dramatic sigh, "these Skype dates have been some of my most exciting dates ever." She smirked to let Buffy know she was kidding.

Buffy knew better than to waste precious date night time on a petty, insignificant fight, so she swallowed down her annoyance. "So, you ready for the movie?"

"Uh huh. Movie, check," Faith listed off. "Girlfriend, check. Pizza, almost-check."

Buffy unconsciously licked her lips. "Pizza sounds really good. I should have gotten some," she pouted. "I can't believe you found a place that'll deliver out to the farm house at 5am."

Faith grinned broadly. "I bet it's going to smell and taste really good, too," she taunted. "Too bad you aren't here to enjoy it."

Buffy stuck out her tongue at the computer. "I'm going to hang up on you."

Faith quirked an amused eyebrow. "That's fine," she shrugged cavalierly. "I'll still have my pizza and movie to keep me company."

Buffy couldn't pretend to be mad when a burst of laughter erupted from her lungs, giving her away. She beamed when a thought crossed her mind. "I can't wait until you're here in two days."

Faith leaned closer to the built-in camera and wiggled her eyebrows. "Oh yeah? Big plans for us?"

Buffy grinned playfully. "Maybe..." she trailed off vaguely.

The two hadn't seen each other in person since Buffy had left England more than three months ago, but Skyping on Friday nights had become routine. Since returning to San Francisco, Buffy had found another mindless coffee-shop job and had done her best to resume the life she'd left behind - with one caveat - Faith.

Although Buffy had originally hesitated to tell her friends and family about their budding relationship, in the end it had become too taxing to lie about how she was spending every Friday night, so she had finally come out to the extended Scooby gang. None of them seemed too surprised, however, which had made Buffy feel even guiltier for guarding her feelings from the people in her life.

Faith's eyes focused on something off screen. "Hey B," she clipped. "You're gonna have to hold that thought. I'll talk to you in like 10 minutes?"

Buffy's features crumpled in disappointment. "What's happening now?"

"No worries, pizza's here," she breezed. "I'll call you back in like 10?"

Buffy nodded. "Okay. I'll be here."

Faith grinned. "I won't be long, so don't fall asleep."

Faith abruptly ended the call, and Buffy was once again left to stare at the blank computer screen. She glanced quickly at the clock in the right-hand corner of her computer. All this taunting about pizza had her stomach growling. 10 minutes would be just enough time to grab a snack from the kitchen, she reasoned. She left her laptop on the desk and hopped down the hallway in the direction of the kitchen.

In the kitchen, she found her sister standing over the sink, rinsing the dishes from a late dinner. Buffy nodded a hello and opened the refrigerator to scan its meager contents.

"Shouldn't you be Skyping with Faith right now?" Dawn observed as she scrubbed at a particularly stubborn plate.

Buffy didn't look away from the open fridge. "Yeah," she confirmed. "But she's getting pizza right now, so I'm going to get something to eat, too."

"Excited about her being here soon?" Dawn grinned knowingly, turning from the sink to appraise her sister.

Buffy closed the refrigerator door when nothing inside inspired her. "Maybe."

Dawn scoffed. "Don't give me that 'maybe' crap. You've been an extra pleasant roommate lately; you're over the moon." Her features turned scolding. "And don't think just cause you're pleasant it means I wanna hear you and Faith doing the nasty."

Buffy's hazel-green eyes widened in shock. "Dawn!" She wasn't a prude, but it still unnerved her when her little sister talked about sex. No matter how old she appeared, Dawn would always be that same little girl to Buffy.

Buffy cast her gaze around the kitchen in search for something to eat. She skipped over the opened bag of chips on the countertop and the fruit bowl in the center of the kitchen island. Now that she had pizza on the brain, nothing looked good. She plucked an apple from the bowl and inspected it. "Okay, I'm a little excited," she admitted to her sister without making eye contact.

Dawn snorted, and Buffy finally met her gaze. "Fine. A lot excited," she grinned. "Happy?"

"That's more like it," Dawn smirked.

The lazy blip of an incoming call rang down the hallway, interrupting their conversation. Buffy bolted back to her room without saying goodbye to her sister. She grabbed her laptop off the desk and plopped down on her futon before answering the Skype request.

Faith's dimpled grin filled the screen once again. "What took you so long? I was worried you fell asleep, lady," she playfully teased.

Buffy shook her head. "Nope. I decided to grab food."

Faith's eyebrows rose on her forehead. "Oh? You grab a hot pocket or somethin'? Cause that ain't no pizza."

Buffy pulled her piece of fruit into view and snapped a bite off. "Better," she mumbled around her mouthful. "An apple."

Faith made a face, and Buffy looked at her apple. "Who am I kidding?" she sighed in disappointment. "It's no pizza."

No longer distracted by her apple, Buffy noticed the darkness of Faith's background. "Are you..." She squinted. "Are you outside your house?"

Faith's darkened features scrunched together. "Uh. Yeah...I couldn't wait."

Buffy made a confused face. "You couldn't wait until you got back in the house, so you're Skyping on your phone?"

The screen pixelated as Faith moved. "Something like that," came the reply.

Buffy's head snapped toward an unidentified sound coming from the front of the apartment. "Dawn?" she called out. "What are you doing out there?" She waited, her ears strained. Dawn made no reply, but a few moments later the muffled sound repeated. "What is that?" she murmured out loud. She set her laptop on the futon and stood up, her slayer curiosity piqued.

"What? Are you leaving me now?" Faith's image called out. "What happened to date night?"

Buffy didn't look down at the laptop. Her eyes instead were trained on her bedroom door. "Just give me a minute," she stated distractedly. "I gotta check on something. And while I'm gone," she noted, "get your butt back inside. The lighting outside is terrible."

"Be careful," Faith said solemnly. "It might be a vamp."

Buffy grabbed the stake she always kept under her pillow and stalked toward her closed bedroom door. She cautiously swung the door open and found an empty hallway. "Dawn?" she called again. She waited tensely in the doorway. Her sister didn't respond, and from her position, Buffy couldn't tell if the kitchen light was on or off.

Another noise alerted her, this time louder since her bedroom door was open. It sounded like someone was at the front door, but the knock sounded strange. Buffy silently padded down the hallway towards the mysterious noise, knowing which squeaky boards to avoid in order to remain stealthy. She glanced quickly in the direction of the kitchen as she passed by. The light was off and there was no sign of Dawn anywhere. Buffy swallowed hard as a feeling of foreboding settled in her stomach and the base of her spine began to tingle.

She strode closer to the front entrance. Another knock, this one louder, rattled the door. "Who is it?" Buffy called.

A familiar voice answered: "Pizza."

Buffy's hand shot to the door handle and she violently yanked the door open, nearly wrenching it from its hinges. A giant, open pizza box faced her.

"I didn't order a pizza," she said. She noticed a giant slice was missing. "Especially a partially eaten one."

The lid to the pizza box closed shut. "I hope you're not gonna call my boss and complain," Faith smirked. "Cause I don't thi-"

Buffy leaned over the closed box and eagerly pressed her mouth against Faith's, effectively silencing the other slayer. After a moment, she pulled back.

"You're here," Buffy breathed.

Faith grinned. "Nothing gets past you, Blondie."

The two slayers stood in the front entrance in silence staring at each other. Buffy hadn't had the opportunity to appraise the other woman's clothes when they were briefly Skyping, but she now took a moment to appreciate the way Faith's soft v-neck revealed just enough defined collarbone and fell to the right length at her hips, meeting up with faded black denim that hugged at her hips and strong thighs.

After a moment, Buffy wordlessly took the pizza box from the other woman. And then she cocked her right fist back and punched Faith in the arm.

Faith's face revealed her shock. "What the hell?" she complained. She rubbed at her throbbing bicep and winced. "Bully."

Buffy childishly pouted. "You said two days from now," she huffed.

"And I'm early...that should win me some points," Faith grumbled, "not someone jacking my pizza."

Buffy's lower lip stuck out in her well-practiced pout. If possible, she was poutier than usual. "I'm not ready for you." She gestured to her yummy sushi pajamas.

Faith smiled warmly. "You look amazing as always."

Before Buffy could open her mouth to protest, Dawn brushed past them with Xander in tow. "Hey!" Buffy called out. "Where were you?"

Dawn barely turned to look at her sister. "Hiding in the bedroom, duh."

"Hey, Faith is here," Xander observed, clearly not in on the secret. "Aren't you early?"

Faith nodded her head once at the one-eyed man. "Hey, Xand."

"Keep walking," Dawn instructed. She tugged on Xander's hand harder. "Enjoy it, Faith."

"Thanks, kiddo," Faith stated. She handed the younger Summers girl a card that looked like a hotel room key.

Buffy stared in bewilderment after her sister. "You knew about this?" she asked, blinking hard.

Dawn kept walking down the hallway with Xander close behind. "I don't wanna know what you two do," she called over her shoulder, "but you have until tomorrow night to do it."

"Where you going?" Buffy called after her sister and her boyfriend.

Dawn and a still-confused Xander stopped in front of the elevator door. "Don't worry about it," she waved. The elevator doors opened and the couple disappeared inside the lift.

Buffy shook her head. "I can't believe her," she murmured.

"Are we gonna stand in the hallway all night?" The smile on Faith's face slowly grew. "Or you bailin' on our date night?"

Buffy blinked hard and shook her head. "Right. Sorry. Where are my manners? Come in," she ushered the brunette. "Come in."

Faith strode into the apartment foyer and took the pizza box from the blonde. Buffy craned her neck and looked either way down the hallway. "Don't you have any bags?" she asked.

"Oh, they're back at my hotel room."

Buffy closed the apartment door. "You got a hotel room?" she asked with furrowed brow.

Faith nodded sheepishly. "I didn't want to assume you'd want me sleeping in your space," she revealed. She scuffed her heel against the hardwood floor. "I mean, we've been talking nonstop since you left England, but I know you wanted to 'go slow.'"

Buffy grabbed Faith's hand, nearly causing her to drop the pizza box. "We could still 'go slow' with you sleeping next to me."

Faith released a shaky breath. "Speak for yourself."

Buffy bit her bottom lip. "You're cute."

"No. I'm horny."

Buffy cleared her throat. "So is that why you're two days early?" she asked suspiciously.

Faith's dark eyes widened. "No!" She tightened her grip on Buffy's hand when the blonde turned her face away. "Seriously, B. I-I just wanted to see you. I've missed you like crazy."

Buffy turned back and Faith took the opportunity to brush some errant blonde strands away from her face. Buffy hummed at the easy, intimate gesture.

"So why aren't we at your hotel?" Buffy asked with a smile that told Faith all was forgiven. "You _do _know I sleep on a futon in an office, right?"

Faith smirked. "Too good for a futon now? Did someone get a little spoiled during her visit to England?"

Buffy wrinkled her nose. "It's your fault," she pointed out. "The fancy dress and the necklace."

"Speaking of which, I hope you didn't hock those the moment you got back to the States."

" I was tempted," Buffy chuckled. "But how could I part with the first present I ever got from my girlfriend?"

"Oh, so we're using labels now, huh?" Faith cheekily retorted.

Buffy ducked her head, hoping Faith wouldn't comment on the blush that had quickly crept onto her bronzed cheeks. "What? You don't like it?"

"Just a little surprised that you were the one to say it first," the brunette easily admitted.

Buffy kept her eyes downcast until she felt Faith's hand touch the side of her face, urging her to raise her chin. She looked up and met sincere, dark, chocolate irises.

"The pizza's getting cold," Faith murmured. Her words betrayed her features. Buffy could tell that Faith wanted to say something else, probably comment on her 'girlfriend' remark, but she was keeping it bottled inside.

Buffy closed her eyes and leaned into Faith's hand. They still had miles to go until they could both be honest about their feelings to each other and to themselves, but she knew they'd eventually get there. They had to. This was too important to let it slip through their grasp again.

Buffy opened her eyes. "So, how about that pizza?"

+++++++

Faith flopped down on the blue futon mattress. The metal frame rattled in protest. She wiggled around, getting comfortable. "This isn't so bad," she observed.

Buffy smirked from the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. "Yeah, but try sleeping on it night after night. I'm getting too old for this stuff."

Faith propped herself up on one elbow and appraised the other slayer. "Do you want me to buy you an actual bed?"

Buffy sat down carefully next to Faith, as if unconvinced the barely-twin mattress could handle their combined weight. "You don't have to keep doing that," she said softly. She rested her hand on Faith's hip.

Faith looked down at Buffy's hand and then back up to her face. "Do what?"

"Throw your money around," Buffy responded. "I'm not interested in you because of Giles' money."

The Bostonian grinned. "Then why _are _you interested?"

Buffy pushed on Faith's hip, forcing her onto her back. She crawled on top of the reclining slayer, straddling her torso between her thighs. "Besides the fact that you're the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen?" she casually observed.

Buffy raked her eyes over the other woman's body, no longer able to subtly appreciate the woman. One of the best things about revealing her feelings for Faith is that she could actually _look _at the woman - really look at her. Before, she had always been too afraid of getting caught, and too afraid of what her desire to linger a little longer than necessary might mean.

Faith anxiously licked her lips and looked up at the woman perched above her. With the halogen light backlighting her, Buffy's face was partially in shadow. "Yeah, besides that."

Buffy sat back, resting her weight more fully on Faith's abdomen. Her features were now bathed in full light. She chewed on her lower lip and pretended to look thoughtful.

Faith bucked her hips a little into the blonde. "Well?" she stated impatiently. "I'm waiting."

Buffy swatted at the other woman. "I'm _thinking_," she playfully chastised.

"Great," Faith groaned. "We're gonna be here forever now."

Buffy pursed her lips. "Insulting my brain isn't going to get you in my pants."

"Yeah, well, calling me nothing but a pretty face attached to a hot body isn't gonna charm _my_ pants off either," Faith countered.

Buffy cocked her head to the side. "Oh, so you want to hear about how you're the most selfless person I've ever met?"

A slow grin settled on Faith's upturned lips. "That's a good start."

Buffy leaned forward and placed a small, chaste kiss near one of Faith's dimples. "And how you're thoughtful without even trying?"

"Oh, I'm trying alright," Faith murmured, almost to herself. She desperately wanted to feel more of Buffy, but she kept her hands at her sides, content for the moment to let Buffy take the lead.

Buffy played with the collar of Faith's v-neck top. Her fingers ran along the rough ridges of her upper ribs and collarbone.

"Mmm, I like that," Faith purred. "Keep going."

Buffy raised an eyebrow and looked down at her girlfriend. "Keep going with the compliments or the touching?" she asked.

"Both are nice," Faith wheezed when Buffy leaned down again and nipped her canines against the bare skin where her neck met her left shoulder.

"You look really adorable in your reading glasses," Buffy said as she licked a straight line up Faith's neck. "I hope you brought them with." The brunette shuddered beneath her ministrations.

"You got a thing for smart girls?" Faith whimpered, desperately trying to keep her cool. "Cause I could totally read a book right now if that's your thing."

"Did you know that no one makes me as _wet_ as you do?" Buffy practically panted into her ear.

"Now you're just making shit up," Faith growled. She clamped her hands on to Buffy's hips. The blonde had started to wiggle on top of her, and Faith needed to control the other woman's movements before she herself entirely lost control. But maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

"If you don't believe me," Buffy breathily challenged, "why don't you check for yourself?" She lifted her center, no longer perching on Faith's pelvic bone.

Faith's eyes rolled back when Buffy grabbed one of her hands and shoved it down the front of her drawstring pajama pants. The blonde slayer wore no underwear, and Faith was met with no resistance. Her fingers slid through warm, liquid heat.

Buffy rolled her hips and rocked into Faith's hand. "God, I want you so badly," she throatily moaned. She continued thrusting, bumping her sex into Faith's stilled hand, hoping for some kind of friction.

Faith's free hand went to Buffy's hip, tempted to stall the other woman. There was no hurry, she wanted to remind the blonde. They had the apartment to themselves the entire evening and the next day as well.

"Please, Faith," Buffy whimpered as if sensing Faith's thoughts. "I can't wait any longer. I just need to feel you."

Buffy's pained tone tugged at Faith's heartstrings, and she knew she was doomed. There was no way she'd ever be able to deny this woman anything. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she gathered Buffy's accumulating wetness on the tips of her fingers. She swirled two fingers around Buffy's swollen clit, pulling another throaty groan of approval from her partner.

Buffy's head fell forward when Faith dipped just the tips of two fingers into her sex and began a slow, shallow thrust. Her hips remained motionless, content for the moment to let Faith set the pace. The shallow thrusts deepened as Buffy accommodated the other woman's digits.

Faith closed her eyes at the intense feeling of once again being engulfed by the heat and tightness of the other woman. "I wanna see you," she growled impatiently.

Before Buffy could voice her consent or refusal, Faith wrapped her free arm around Buffy's lithe waist. Still keeping her fingers firmly lodged inside her partner, she reversed their positions so Buffy now lay on her back with Faith hovering above. The Boston slayer made quick work of Buffy's pajama bottoms, stripping her of the cotton pants with her free hand and rendering Buffy naked from the waist down.

Faith felt momentarily overwhelmed. There was so much she wanted to do, to touch, to taste. Something akin to a panic attack overcame her senses. Her chest tightened and her breath quickened.

Noticing the change in her partner's demeanor, Buffy's hazel-green eyes narrowed in apprehension. She reached up and cupped Faith's face in one hand. "Hey. Are you okay?" she asked, locking her concerned eyes on the brunette's troubled features.

Faith struggled with her emotions. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her free hand. "I just love you so fucking much," she choked out.

Buffy's features crumpled at the words, and she looked close to tears. She reached up with both hands and stroked her thumbs along Faith's cheekbones. The two wordlessly stared into each other's eyes, the rushed and needy sex seemingly forgotten for the moment.

Buffy pulled the other woman's face down to her until lips and tongues met. As if suddenly remembering where her other hand still was buried, Faith resumed the slow and steady thrusts in and out of Buffy's aching center. The blonde sighed into Faith's mouth, and their tongues brushed and intimately tangled. She arched her back when Faith curled her fingers toward the ceiling.

"Oh fuck," Buffy cursed, pulling away from Faith's mouth. She bit down on her lower lip. "Whatever you just did, do it again."

Faith grinned cheekily. "Oh, you mean _this_?" She flexed her forearm and curled her fingers inside the blonde slayer once again.

"Holy shit!" Buffy's eyes flew wide open. "Yes. There," she chanted each time Faith bottomed out and curled her fingers against her g-spot. "Right there."

Knowing enough to not deviate from her pattern or rhythm, Faith continued with the slow, solid strokes. She smirked to herself. Who knew she'd eventually get so good at obeying Buffy's orders?

"So close," Buffy panted. She clutched at the bed sheets beneath her and focused on the way Faith's right bicep tensed and rippled with each thrust. She could see the muscles in Faith's jaw working and the concentration on her face.

"I'm gonna…" Buffy choked out. She clenched at Faith's right arm, never wanting her to stop.

Faith licked her lips and bent down to capture Buffy's mouth once again. She bit down on Buffy's lower lip, pulling a small cry from the blonde. She thrust into her girlfriend harder, and her knuckles made a quiet slapping noise every time she bottomed out.

"Faith!" Buffy cried out. She scratched at Faith's back and buried her face into the other woman's shoulder as her first orgasm quickly overcame her. She muffled her screams by biting down into Faith's clothed shoulder, causing the Boston woman to groan from a combination of pain and pleasure.

Faith carefully slid her fingers in and out two more times as she waited for the inner pulsing of Buffy's orgasm to dissipate. When she felt Buffy's body uncoil around her, she pulled her saturated fingers completely out.

Buffy looked up at Faith with slightly unfocused eyes. But even through her disorientation, she could still make out the amused smile on her girlfriend's face.

"What?" Buffy demanded, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "What's so funny?"

"You," Faith said simply.

Buffy's features crumbled. "There you go again, charming off my pants," she grumbled.

The amused smile broke into a smirk. "Don't wanna point out the obvious, B, but your pants are long gone."

Buffy scowled and pulled at the top sheet to cover herself up. "Fine," she huffed. "If I'm so funny, then you won't mind—."

"Uh uh," Faith tsked, interrupting the other girl. "No covering up." She grabbed at the blonde's wrists and stopped her stubborn actions. She pulled the sheet from Buffy's grasp and shoved the comforter away.

"Hey," Buffy protested sourly. "You're messing up my bed."

Faith brought the smaller slayer's wrists up above her head. "I promise I'll make it back up when we're finished here," she breathed into Buffy's neck.

"P-promise?" Buffy stuttered when Faith slowly sunk her teeth into her tender flesh.

Faith licked at the inflamed skin. "Scouts honor," she murmured.

"Well in that case," Buffy sighed, allowing the other slayer to take back control.

Faith fisted her hand in the back of Buffy's head, tangling her fingers in soft, blonde hair. Buffy moaned loudly when Faith tugged and tilted her head back. Faith greedily dove into Buffy's exposed neck. She bit down hard, pulling a quiet whimper from the elder slayer.

Faith caught herself and looked down worriedly at the other woman. "I'm sorry," she hastily apologized. Buffy's neck looked raw. That last love bite was going to leave a bruise for sure. "Was that too much?"

"Stop apologizing." Buffy grabbed onto the back of Faith's neck and pulled her back down for a fierce kiss. Lips and teeth mashed together, threatening to break skin. "I'm not going to break," she growled into the other woman's mouth. "I'm a fucking slayer, too."

Buffy's words caused something primal to stir inside of the dark-haired slayer. Her nostrils flared, and she clenched Buffy's wrists tighter.

Faith pinned Buffy's wrists back above her head with her left hand while her right hand worked on the buttons of her pajama top that had somehow remained intact. She easily unfastened the top two buttons as they kissed with tongues that continued to battle for dominance. Growing impatient as she reached button number three, however, Faith grabbed the front cotton material and yanked hard, retching the remaining buttons from their thread, cleaving Buffy's pajama top in half.

Buffy made a small cry of protest, but her annoyance was soon silenced when hot, eager lips left her mouth in favor of tightened nipples. The blonde arched her back up into Faith's mouth. She wiggled beneath Faith in a weak attempt to regain control, but Faith only tightened her hold on her wrists. Her wrists began to ache and would probably be left with small blue-green bruises from Faith's insistent grasp, but it was a small price to pay for the way Faith's mouth rotated from one dusky nipple to the other.

Faith released her grip on Buffy's wrists in order to tweak and roll a sensitive bud between her fingers while her mouth nipped and tongue flicked against the other.

When she felt Buffy start to move her arms, Faith gently grabbed onto her wrists once again. "Keep your hands above your head," she ordered as she began to slink down Buffy's body toward her neglected sex.

Buffy bit her bottom lip and gave a barely perceptible nod.

Faith continued her descent until she was on her stomach, nestled between Buffy's parted thighs. She closed her eyes and breathed in the delicate scent of Buffy's sex. "God you're so fuckin' edible," she moaned.

Buffy anxiously licked her lips and looked down at the woman positioned between her legs. "Then maybe you should show me," she urged.

Faith placed her hands on the insides of Buffy's soft thighs and gently spread the woman further apart. She lowered her head and placed delicate kisses along the tender flesh, lingering to suck the skin between her teeth long enough to leave behind light, purple marks.

Faith licked her way closer and closer to Buffy's center. The blonde's femininely muscled thighs quivered beneath her attentions. Buffy clenched tighter against the futon frame, surprised she had yet to completely rip it apart. She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to stem back the flow of unattractive whimpers. She wanted to grab the back of Faith's head and position her just where she needed her. But she was_ really_ enjoying this take-charge version of Faith. She couldn't hold back a private smirk as she desperately clung to the metal headboard. Who knew that one day _she'd_ be so good at obeying Faith's orders?

++++++++

Buffy swatted at Faith's hands. She seemed to have grown an extra pair in the past few minutes. "No, Faith," she practically whined.

Faith looked up from between Buffy's thighs. "What's wrong?" she asked, her full lower lip sticking out. She looked hurt that Buffy was stopping her from having her fun.

"I need a break," the blonde sighed. "Too much. Too intense." She ran her hand along the side of her face, pushing away some errant strands of hair that stuck to the side of her face.

The eagerness from Faith's face fell. "Oh," she said somberly. "Sorry." She pulled herself up on her knees, reluctant to give up so easily.

Buffy propped herself up on her elbows and inspected the downcast slayer. She couldn't help the smirk that felt so natural on her mouth. Faith looked like someone had just stolen her Halloween candy.

"But that doesn't mean we have to stop _entirely_," Buffy remarked slyly as she sat up fully. She pulled Faith back down on top of her.

"How is it that you still have so many clothes on?" Buffy mumbled against the dark slayer's mouth.

"What can I say?" Faith retorted, nipping at the other girl's lower lip. "You're a selfish lover."

Buffy quickly rolled them over, reversing their positions for the second time that evening. "Oh really?" she said, her eyebrows creeping up her hairline. She shrugged out of her mangled pajama top, rendering herself completely naked.

Faith grinned mischievously. "Well, last time I checked, the orgasm count was 2-0 in your favor."

Buffy's unlined forehead furrowed. "I guess I'll have to do something about that then."

"Not that I'm complaining," Faith breezed, just enjoying the feeling of Buffy's warm, naked body on top of hers. It was surreal to her that they were talking so openly and easily about all this. "It's not like I wasn't having fun."

Buffy reached down to Faith's waistline and fiddled with the top button of her dark jeans. "So is this the part where I get impatient and tear off your clothes and ruin your favorite pants?"

Faith ducked her head. "I'll buy you new pajamas," she said sheepishly.

"Keep your money," Buffy lightly ordered as she unfastened the button and pulled the zipper down. "I can't be bought."

It was hard to keep track of what they were talking about, knowing that Buffy was about to take off her pants. Faith lifted her backside off the mattress and allowed the other girl to peel her tight jeans off her. "Then how _do _I win your love?" she challenged, unthinking.

Buffy's fingers caught at the top of Faith's dark purple boi shorts. "Um…"

Faith looked at the other girl with confusion. "What's the holdup? Don't know what to do next?" she lightly teased.

"No…you just…I can't…"

Faith's muddled brain quickly backtracked to their recent conversation. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Shit, B. I know. The L-word. We're taking it slow. It's okay," she reassured her. "I was just talkin' shit. It's hard for me to concentrate on the words coming outta my mouth when you're touching me."

Buffy chewed her bottom lip as she toying with the waistband of Faith's underwear. "Stop being so nice," she scowled. "I'm being selfish."

Faith grabbed Buffy's hands and brought them to her lips. She kissed the backs of Buffy's knuckles. "No. You're being honest," she reassured the other woman. "And that's all I can ask for."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked with hesitant hazel-green eyes.

Faith nodded once. "When you feel it, you'll say it. I know that. And I wouldn't want it any other way."

Buffy stroked her hand along Faith's cheek. "You've always had a talent with words," she chuckled fondly. "Keep it up, and I won't be able to stop myself from falling for you."

Faith smiled warmly. "That's kind of the idea, B."

Buffy leaned down and placed a tender kiss against Faith's upturned mouth. "Now where was I?" she murmured playfully.

Faith wiggled her eyebrows. "I'm pretty sure you were about to give me an orgasm."

"Oh, right. How could I forget," Buffy teased back.

Faith sat up and pulled her v-neck off. "That's gotta be some kind of record," she casually remarked. "I don't think my clothes have ever stayed on this long into sex."

Buffy pouted. "You distracted me."

Faith pulled Buffy in for a lingering kiss. "Not complain', cutie."

Buffy eagerly deepened the kiss. Her hands roamed up the other woman's smooth back in search of her bra clasp. She smiled into Faith's mouth as she unfastened the bra on her first try.

"Impressive," Faith murmured, moving her lips along Buffy's jaw line. "Been practicing?"

"Don't ruin the moment," Buffy censured.

Faith gladly ceased talking when Buffy pulled her bra-straps down her shoulders and flung the lacy undergarment across the room. The blonde surprised the other woman by ducking her head and wrapping her mouth around one dusky nipple.

Faith tangled her fingers into blonde hair, encouraging the other woman's attentions. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling of Buffy's tongue lashing out against her sensitive bud. She chewed on the inside of her lower lip and breathed harshly out her nose as Buffy took an experimental nip.

Buffy flicked tentative eyes up to the brunette. Faith hummed her approval and Buffy returned, emboldened. She sucked hard on the nub and rolled it around with her tongue. She lightly bit down and felt a surge of arousal when Faith groaned louder.

Buffy placed her palm against Faith's clavicle and pushed her backwards onto the bed. Faith put up little resistance and allowed the smaller slayer to push her flat on her back.

Buffy positioned herself on her knees in between Faith's slightly parted thighs. Her fingers returned to the top of Faith's underwear. She curled her fingers beneath the soft material and began to pull down.

Faith cleared her throat. "You can, uh, go over the underwear if you want."

"Huh?"

The Boston girl looked uncharacteristically bashful. "I, uh, kind of like to be teased."

Buffy pursed her lips. "Oh really…." she drawled.

Buffy kept her fingers tucked under the inside of Faith's underwear, but doubled over until her face was close to Faith's covered sex. She breathed out a gust of warm air against her and smiled when Faith squiggled uncomfortably on the futon.

Buffy placed warm, open-mouthed kisses against the thin material of Faith's underwear, nearly saturating the material. She licked hard against Faith's hipbone, causing the other girl to hiss loudly and buck up into her mouth. She nudged her nose against Faith's sex, seeking out the tell-tale bump, pulling more quiet moans from the brunette slayer.

"Fuck, B," Faith sighed when Buffy paused. She slapped her palms against the futon mattress in frustration. "You're a natural at this teasing stuff."

Buffy smiled proudly from the praise and began inching the purple underwear down slowly. She gently kissed and licked against the naked skin as it came into view. She pulled the undergarment completely off her hips and down Faith's long legs, finally rendering her completely naked.

"Get ready for an ego boost," Faith panted as she lurched up into Buffy's eager mouth.

Buffy looked up from between Faith's thighs. "What?"

"I'm not gonna last long," the brunette warned. "Getting you off was too much of a turn on."

Buffy's features fell. "So, I'm not really this good at sex?" she pouted, pulling away.

"No, no. Of course you are, B," Faith insisted. "I'm just saying…I'm just warning that…I don't know what I'm saying…fuck," she cursed loudly in frustration. She pounded her fists down on the mattress. "Just get your mouth back on me."

"So bossy," Buffy mumbled, rearranging herself between Faith's parted legs.

"Less talking. I'm losing lady wood here, B."

Buffy delicately licked along Faith's sensitive folds.

"Annnnd we're back," Faith sighed contentedly.

+++++++

Buffy crawled back up the bed and settled in next to the panting brunette. She snuggled against the naked slayer. Faith's eyes were closed and her full mouth was twisted into a small smile. Buffy poked her in the ribs, and Faith's dark eyes fluttered open.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

Buffy worried her bottom lip. "Was it good?"

The small smile widened. "Fuck yeah."

The smaller slayer's body seemed to relax at the affirmation. She rested her head against Faith's shoulder. "I'm glad."

Faith absentmindedly stroked her fingers through Buffy's hair. Somewhere in the midst of their late-night activities, it had pulled itself entirely free of her ponytail. Buffy quietly moaned approval as Faith placed more pressure on the tips of her fingers and massaged her scalp.

"You weren't honestly worried, were you?" Faith asked into the room.

Buffy turned and buried her face into Faith's shoulder to hide. "Maybe," she mumbled into the other woman's skin.

"Hey. Don't hide from me." Faith gently coaxed the blonde to look at her.

"It's just that I'm not that…experienced," Buffy sighed as she struggled with the words. "And, you're just so good at what you do…and I don't want to disappoint you in bed and make you second-guess wanting to be with me…"

Faith quickly silenced what could soon turn into a desperate, self-depreciating ramble by pressing her full mouth against Buffy's moving lips.

++++++++++

Buffy stretched her arms above her head as she padded down the hallway from her bedroom toward the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and pulled two bottled waters from the inside. Slayers might have amazing stamina, she smirked to herself, but even they needed to stop to rehydrate once in a while. She opened the top of one of the bottles and took a quick sip. The clock on the microwave noted the early morning hour.

Footsteps down the hallway alerted her that she wasn't alone. "Hey, B?" Faith poked her head around the corner.

Buffy grinned. "I was gone for like 2 minutes," she laughed. "Don't tell me you missed me already."

Faith wrinkled her nose and scowled. "I'm not clingy," she grumbled. "I just wanted to ask if it was okay if I take a shower?"

Buffy's hazel-green eyes glimmered mischievously. "Don't tell me you're tired already?"

"Whatever," Faith huffed. "I wasn't the one whining about being too sensitive to go for another orgasm."

Buffy ducked her head bashfully. "It's not my fault you know exactly what I like."

Faith grinned proudly. She knew she was good at sex. It's hard to be bad at something you enjoy doing so much. But her ego couldn't help but swell a little from hearing Buffy acknowledge it. "Wanna join me in the shower?" she asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "We could do something cliche like get clean only to get dirty again."

Buffy shook her head. "Tempting," she admitted. "Go ahead and get a head start. Maybe I'll join you in a few minutes."

Faith flashed her one more quick, charming smile before turning and making her way back down the hallway in the direction of the bathroom.

A few moments later, Buffy heard the tell-tale sound of water turning on and the shower spray starting. She listened to the other sounds coming from the bathroom and imagined Faith going through the dutiful motions of readying for her shower. She heard the medicine cabinet open and close and the sound of the linen closet door opening as Faith probably searched for a towel that wasn't too girlie-looking. She heard the closet door shut again before finally the shower curtain was pulled back, followed by the muffle of water as a naked body stepped beneath the shower spray and returned the curtain back to its original position.

Buffy sat down on a stool and took another sip from her water bottle. She mindlessly glanced at a short stack of mail on the kitchen island. She frowned at the pile of letters. She hated mail. No one ever sent her real letters anymore. She only ever received junk mail from credit card and wireless companies or bills that reminded her of just how meager her coffee shop salary was.

It was nice that after such a troubled upbringing, Faith didn't have to worry about working a 9 to 5 job; Buffy herself hated the long hours spent on her feet for paltry pay and the even worse tips. But with barely a high school diploma from a town that no longer existed, it was the best she could really hope for. She could always go back to college, she silently mused, maybe pick up a few classes at UCSF on her days off. Sure her credits from UC-Sunnydale wouldn't transfer since there was no more Sunnydale Registrar to confirm she'd ever taken classes, but she had to start somewhere. She sighed as she plucked at a few of the legal-sized envelopes. She almost envied the slayers that came before her - none of them had really lived long enough to accumulate a pile of credit card bills.

Buffy shuffled through the pile of untouched mail. Just as she had expected, it was mostly bills and junk mail. Amongst the wasted paper, however, was one nondescript envelope addressed to her. She turned the envelope over in her hands. There were no distinct markings, no return address. She ripped open the top fold to examine the envelope's contents. Inside, she found a 5x4 photograph that had been folded in half. She looked again in the envelope and on the floor around her to see if anything had fallen out, but she found nothing.

She carefully unfolded the photograph and ran her fingers along the fold to flatten the crease. The photograph was black and white and a little grainy as if it had been taken while moving and hadn't given the camera the opportunity to focus, or as if it had been shot from a great distance from the photographer's subject. Pictured was a small girl dressed in loose-fitting clothes. Her long, straight hair flew behind her as though she were running and a dimpled grin was plastered across her face. Buffy frowned. She outlined the young girl's face with the tip of her finger. There was something familiar about this girl, but she couldn't quite place it.

She turned the photograph over. In careful black letters were the words, "Starbucks is coming."

She frowned in confusion. What kind of ad campaign was this? Why was Starbucks warning her that it was coming? Had she been personally targeted for some type of mother-to-be age group? Or maybe this was all because she worked at a rival coffee shop?

Buffy looked away from the handwritten message when she heard the water turn off in the bathroom. She'd missed her opportunity to shower with Faith, but that didn't mean she couldn't surprise her while she was toweling off. A mental image of Faith's glistening, naked body flashed through her mind, and she quickly hopped off the stool to go join the other girl.

She abandoned the photograph, and the image of the young girl with flashing, determined eyes fell back to the kitchen countertop with the rest of the junk mail.

+++++++++++  
>FIN<p> 


End file.
